Students in NDSU’s Master of Public Policy program are making an impact in the state as they gain critical real-world experience through hands-on capstone projects.
Students in the program choose a community partner that meets their interests and work closely with them to benefit the student, 商业与社会. 费斯·舒尔和乔纳森·罗斯, 都是五月份毕业的, were among two of the students who recently completed their capstone projects.
罗斯, 他来自巴斯, 缅因州, 与ND Cares合作, a coalition of more than 40 service providers and partners that works to strengthen an accessible, seamless network of resources for service members, 退伍军人, 家属和幸存者.
罗斯 consolidated data from the 北达科他 Governor’s Challenge team, 北达科他州退伍军人专员, 988危机热线, state epidemiologist and others into one online dashboard for people to visit to get the resources they need.
As an Army veteran with connections to the veteran community, 罗斯 knew this was the capstone project he wanted to pursue.
“每天，18岁.5 退伍军人 die by suicide, which is extraordinarily high. Most of the 退伍军人 that do die by suicide are not enrolled in the VA Healthcare system, and it shows that people enrolled in the VA healthcare system die by suicide less,罗斯说. “My main piece of the project is to try and get them into the VA healthcare system.”
朔伊尔 worked with Central Dakota Forensic Nurse Examiners, a non-profit organization out of Bismarck, 北达科他, that provides free forensic medical exams to sexual assault victims of all ages in 23 counties in western and central 北达科他. 2023年立法会议后, the organization earned funding to expand their forensic medical services to victims of domestic violence, which is currently in the pilot stage with services being implemented in Bismarck and Williston.
为了她的顶点, 朔伊尔研究定律, policies and out-of-state community protocols to condense down to help the organization plan out how to implement their new program.
“It is important to note that 北达科他 did not have any policy that would provide free forensic care to domestic violence victims until now, so much of what I did was explore other states, 像明尼苏达州, 亚利桑那州和加利福尼亚州, to see what their protocols are and to figure out how CDFNE can personalize them to fit the needs of their organization,朔伊尔说, 谁是俾斯麦人.
The final stage of her project included writing a community guideline for CDFNE nurses, 参与医院, 执法, advocacy centers and others to follow.
Both 罗斯 and 朔伊尔 gained valuable experience from their capstones that they’ll be able to apply to their future careers. From building up communication skills to expanding on the public policy lessons they’ve already obtained from their other courses, 罗斯 and 朔伊尔 said their capstone projects helped prepare them for success after graduation.
“作为一名学生, you are isolated from the ‘real-world,’ and if you aren’t going out and working or volunteering, you start to get a jaded view of society,朔伊尔说. “This capstone project reminded me that there are good people doing transformative things. It taught me the importance of working with people of all backgrounds and demonstrated how crucial it is to think of things in a larger picture.”
“This experience taught me that not everything you do will be successful. People will try to question you and challenge your ideas, 有时他们会赢, but that doesn’t mean you stop trying,朔伊尔说. “I hope to take these lessons with me to apply in my life and pass them onto others in the future.”
罗斯希望在 VA or with the 北达科他 Veteran’s Commissioner after graduation. 朔伊尔 will attend law school and is interested in learning more about the Legislative Council in Bismarck’s work.
Their advice for future master of public policy students is to pursue what you’re passionate about and to seek out opportunities that help nonprofits.
“做一些你喜欢的事情. Find something that you’re really passionate about, 比如教育和环境, 然后跟着它跑,罗斯说.
马上申请 to make your own impact on a cause that matters. 安排拜访 看看NDSU能提供什么.
