Esme Nuno Mora, a second-year Miller Scholar, has been named a PPIA Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School. Esme will join a diverse cohort of undergraduates in a rigorous seven-week program this summer that prepares students for graduate programs in public policy and international affairs.
“I truly still can’t believe I’ll be going to the Harvard this summer! The incredible support system I’ve built here at UC Berkeley, including my amazing friends from the Miller Scholars cohort, NAVCAL, and the Berkeley Hope Scholars, has always made me believe that opportunities like this were never impossible.”
Esme aspires to use research to raise awareness of underrepresented youth who've been negatively impacted by the child welfare system. Following graduation, Esme aspires to get a PhD and utilize her work to influence legislative changes that ensure foster and homeless students are aware of resources available to them and bridge the support needed.
Esme used her project "I Need a Box" to apply to the PPIA application. Her project is an effort to raise awareness about the barriers unaccompanied homeless youth face while accessing higher education. In turn, Esme proposed an impactful solution of adding a checkbox to the UC application to identify unaccompanied homeless youth. Esme credits Luisa for her ever ongoing support and serving as a remarkable mentor throughout her research journey and for writing her letter of recommendation.
Congratulations Esme!
