Incoming Student Profile: Bridget Burns, Class of 2019

During the course of every American’s lifetime there are certain historical events that seem to mark their generation in a special way. President Kennedy’s assassination, Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon, President Nixon’s resignation following Watergate, and President Obama’s election as the first black president are all notable examples.

The one that stands out for Bridget Burns was the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington D.C. on September 11, 2001.

At the time of the attacks, Bridget was nine years old and living in New Jersey, an hour outside of New York City. Shortly after school began that morning, her mom arrived to tell her the news and take her home. She explained that many of her classmate’s parents may not return home that night, or ever. She also told Burns that the attack might cause some people to fear those from other countries and explained why such assumptions based on geography were wrong.

Her mom’s statement, and impact on her community, stuck with her. As Burns put it, “I became aware of the world in a new and different way that day. Suddenly there were complications and dangers I hadn’t realized existed before.”

Growing up with this knowledge, Burns became intensely curious about the rest of the world and other cultures. She wanted to travel, not only to see new sights and enjoy new experiences, but “to learn what government—democratic and otherwise—looked like in different places and contexts. Most of all, I wanted to participate in improving the world and to help make it a safer, healthier, and happier place.”

“I chose American University, School of International Service for my undergraduate studies because I wanted to be in Washington, D.C., and pursue a career in international relations. I spent part of my freshman and sophomore years fulfilling my goal to travel by taking a course in Middle Eastern politics at the American University in Cairo and then, a year later, by participating in the European Union in Action program at American University, Brussels Center, in Brussels, Belgium.”

After earning her bachelor of arts in international politics, Burns joined Chemonics International, a development company that oversees and supports the implementation of USAID programs in over 70 countries around the world. She is particularly interested in conflict and post-conflict areas, and has worked on projects in Malawi, Tunisia, Afghanistan and South Sudan.

Most recently, she has been serving as project manager in the Global Health and Supply Chain office, overseeing financial reporting, technical implementation, and other operational activities of the USAID Global Health Supply Chain in South Sudan.

To further her career as an international development consultant, Burns decided to pursue a master’s degree in public policy. Since her college experience was heavily focused on theory, she wanted a graduate program that would give her a more concrete and scientific skill set.

She soon realized that the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy offered exactly the kind of analytical rigor she was looking for.

“Harris Public Policy offers its students a unique approach to solving some of the world’s most pressing problems. The emphasis on data science is unlike that of any of the other programs I looked into.”

Burns also found that the Harris community shared her values.

“Having lived in D.C. for eight years, I’ve met many people who genuinely want to do good for the world. Unexpectedly, I’ve found that same passion at Harris. It’s even more impressive to see how that passion is manifested through scientific data collection and analysis.”

Burns has discovered some additional advantages Harris offers as well.

“I’ve enjoyed meeting so many different types of people since I’ve been here and learning about the really cool work being done at the University of Chicago. Plus, the pizza is better here than it is in NYC! All in all, I can definitely say that Harris has far exceeded my expectations.”