Lafayette Scholar Wins Fellowship, Targets Career in Public Service
Lafayette College senior Andrea Rivera participated in The Public Policy and International Affairs Program (PPIA) Junior Summer Institute Fellowship program this past summer at Carnegie Mellon University. The PPIA program is a competitive and academically rigorous graduate level preparation program for students interested in careers in public service.
Throughout her PPIA experience, Andrea focused on her interests in government regulation/transparency and economic policy while connecting with likeminded students from across the country. She took advantage of the nuanced PPIA program offerings, which prepares students for graduate-level education with a curriculum of tailored classes. She also participated in training on skills essential for public sector work, like applied statistics and how to write a policy memo.
“If you are willing to work towards your goals, Posse will put you in a position to achieve them.”
Originally born in the United States, Andrea moved with her mother to Panama as an infant. She returned to the United States at age 16, attending Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.
Prior to her senior year at Wakefield, Andrea did extensive research on the Posse scholarship.
“I was really excited about the cohort model and support system Posse offers,” she says, recalling her draw to become a Posse Scholar. “When I read about Lafayette everything just clicked. And the Posse program works. The camaraderie and genuine friendship my Posse has built with each other is amazing.”
She says her early personal experience abroad directly informed her interest in public sector work.
“In Panama, you grow up with outrageous news about the government’s corruption,” she recalls. “As a kid and a citizen, you can feel powerless.”
Andrea currently plans to apply to law school after graduation.
“I grew up with a sense of duty to my fellow citizens and country,” she says. “If you are willing to work towards your goals, Posse will put you in a position to achieve them.”
