Mariela Loera
Policy Advocate at Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability
Why did you choose UCR’s MPP program?
I wanted to learn how to use policy as a tool to make change for communities disproportionately impacted by environmental contamination and the climate crisis.
What did you enjoy about your time in the program?
I enjoyed having conversations with my peers and faculty on policy issues from a variety of topics and the complexity of them when considering everything they might impact including things like economics, public health, poverty, and even ethics, and how they all impact each other.
What skills did you learn and/or take away from the program that you apply to your job?
The combination of all the courses including statistical analysis all the way to ethics thought me to look at policy and take a step back and consider all the different aspects that it encompasses.
Any advice for students applying to and/or currently enrolled in our program?
When thinking through academic material look at examples of related existing policy and how it is being applied in our lives today.