Marxe School Undergrad Selected for the Public Policy and International Affairs Program

April 12, 2019

Jeemin Cha (’20) has been selected to participate in the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University, one of 30 undergraduates chosen among 500 applicants nationwide.

Cha is the first student from the Marxe School of Public and International Affairs chosen as a PPIA fellow.

For Cha, this opportunity to study during the summer at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School will contribute to his plans for a career in public service. His goal is to help those in the immigrant communities, after obtaining a Master’s in Public Policy and a Juris Doctor degree.

“I am looking forward to meeting like-minded individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the public sector,” Cha said in an emailed interview. “I hope to learn about their interests and the communities they want to serve and advocate. I am also excited about the many networking opportunities the program will provide in order for me to play an influential role serving the public good.”

Last spring, Cha served as an intern at Her Justice, a nonprofit representing vulnerable, marginalized women on immigration and family law matters. He obtained this real-work experience through the Hagedorn Foundation, which provides financial support to students seeking internships in the nonprofit sector. Most recently, he was a summer intern at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP.

He added, “The PPIA Junior Summer Institute Program will challenge me intellectually by equipping me with the knowledge and skills in order to succeed in graduate school.”

Diversifying Public Service Leadership

Through its highly regarded programs, PPIA seeks to increase diversity in public service, and to advance the leadership roles of underrepresented groups in civic organizations committed to national and international affairs.

To this end, the nonprofit selects students who must be “impressive academically” and “culturally aware, socially sensitive, committed to public service, and share a common vision about making the world a better place.”

After the program, Cha will join PPIA’s network of nearly 4,000 alumni who work in the United States and abroad.

About the Program

PPIA students in the program must complete seven weeks of classroom instruction, which cover quantitative methods for policy analysis, economics for policy analysis, policy writing and analysis, and policy workshops (international and domestic). Outside of the classroom, students take part in seminars with practitioners and researchers on a range of topics.

At the end of the term, students present a comprehensive final report on a current policy issue that “draws on the skills acquired in their coursework, policy analysis and writing,” PPIA said.

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