Han Li (C’27) is a sophomore in the College of Arts & Sciences and the McCourt School of Public Policy studying in the Joint Program in Public Policy with minors in government and economics. He is a Georgetown University Student Association senator and sings with the Georgetown Chimes.
A small checkbox, inconspicuous and unassuming, sat at the very bottom of the Georgetown University application page.
“Georgetown University is developing an undergraduate program in the field of public policy. Please check this box if you would be interested.”
The simple message caught my attention as I was filling out the application. Vaguely aware of what public policy even was, I checked the box, figuring it couldn’t hurt. Moments later, I turned in the application and forgot all about the proposed public policy program.
I didn’t seriously consider studying public policy until I was on campus as a first-year student. By that time, Georgetown had officially announced the Joint Program in Public Policy (JPPP), a joint degree offered by the College of Arts & Sciences and the McCourt School of Public Policy that dives deep into public policy while grounded in the liberal arts. Perhaps more intriguing than this shared curriculum was that JPPP students would spend their junior and senior years at the Capitol Campus.
Interested in pursuing public service for the global good, I was immediately drawn to the curriculum. However, I worried about spending half my college years away from the Hilltop Campus. More intense than a semester abroad or in the Capitol Applied Learning Labs, two years downtown would affect my ability to spend time with friends, join student organizations and pursue extracurricular goals. As I progressed through my freshman year, every late night out with friends or each club meeting that went too long reminded me again of these costs. I went the whole year without deciding whether I wanted to participate in the program.
To better understand the program, I registered for the JPPP gateway class “How Public Policy Works” and signed up for a tour of the Capitol Campus during my sophomore year. What I saw not only swayed my opinion but fundamentally changed how I view my time here at Georgetown as a student, a peer and a young adult learning how to live life.
As an academic pursuit, I see the opportunities for a momentous educational experience. With small class sizes and the opportunity for students to take graduate-level coursework, public policy majors have every opportunity to participate in exciting nontraditional formats and discuss key policy fields. Engaging projects focused on building analysis skills transform classroom knowledge into policymaking tools. As someone who much prefers writing reports and doing research to sitting in lectures and taking exams, I’m excited for this change of pace.
Furthermore, the Capitol Campus offers unique opportunities for students to learn outside the classroom. Built into the JPPP curriculum is a 4-credit internship seminar designed to give students work experience while tying it to their curriculum. Having done a Hillternship during my freshman spring, I know internship programs are a great way to learn about public service and work in the government sector. As I seek new opportunities to work in the field, I am glad the JPPP helps me capitalize on that effort. I am keenly excited for the opportunity to study and work simultaneously. The JPPP will give me both the resources and the infrastructure to achieve this goal.
Furthermore, as a holistic experience, I see the value of studying at the Capitol Campus. Away from the comfort of the Hilltop Campus, it offers an unparalleled opportunity to fully immerse myself in city life in a way college students generally cannot. Apartment-style housing at 55 H, with a fully furnished kitchen and in-unit laundry, offers a step up from communal facilities and shared dorm rooms. With no dining hall, Capitol Campus students instead have a flexible plan, which can be spent on groceries at Safeway and meals from Grubhub.
To get around DC or to the Hilltop Campus, I can use any number of bus or Metro lines in the surrounding area. Hanging out with friends and attending Hilltop events will become planned occasions instead of spontaneous episodes. In other words, life at the Capitol Campus is one step closer to true independence. For me, that is an objective I have been chasing ever since coming to college. Learning how to cook, relying on public transportation and planning hangouts well in advance are all new to me— the Capitol Campus will push me to take these new steps of growth.
Finally, dwelling on this decision has caused me to reflect on why I chose to enroll as a Georgetown student in the first place. Beyond offering a world-class education in political science, policy and economics, Georgetown stood out as a changemaker, a place where students dare to try and are not deterred by failure. Studying at Georgetown invites me to attempt new things, take risks and use my surroundings to grow as I prepare to enter the world and influence positive change. The Capitol Campus experience reflects this drive and desire to grow and take risks and ultimately will push me to adapt like few other academic programs could.
As I wrap up my time on the Hilltop, many questions remain unanswered about life downtown. I know I must adapt to a dual life, traveling daily to meet commitments left behind on the Hilltop Campus. I will have to make new connections and strive to maintain old ones as the daily cast of peers and classmates changes. Most importantly, club meetings, Chimes rehearsals and hangouts with friends will become reliant on DC traffic conditions. However large and worrisome these anxieties may be, I look forward to next semester with hopeful anticipation — the novelty and excitement of this unprecedented opportunity will carry me forward, off the beaten path.