Student Profile: Haley Hager, MPP Class of 2023

Haley Hager hails from Frisco, Texas, a small town which has produced a remarkably driven and hardworking young woman. Hager has spent the last seven years flitting across the country building and managing political campaigns of all different magnitudes. By the time she was 28, she had managed a million dollar budget, helped launch a presidential campaign, and led a staff of more than fifty people.

Hager worked on local, state, and federal campaigns, including two separate presidential campaigns: Hillary Clinton’s in 2016 and Cory Booker’s just last year. “In fact, I was one of the first four staffers on Booker’s campaign in Iowa, and I had the opportunity to work in Pinellas County, Florida—a swing county in a swing state—for Hillary Clinton’s momentous campaign.”

However, the scope of Hager’s interest in politics runs much deeper and broader than her extensive campaign experience.

With a degree in Social Work from University of Texas at Austin and years of experience advocating policies at Planned Parenthood, Hager has developed a keen sense of the political environment in the United States—and a realistic idea of its future. “During one of my first campaigns, a mentor asked me where I saw myself going. I said I intended to go into public policy. My mentor responded, ‘That’s all well and good, but good public policy doesn’t mean squat if you can’t get good people into office to implement it.’

“That response,” Hager said, “definitely shaped my outlook and career intentions as I went deeper into the campaign side of American politics. It also convinced me of the importance of compromise, especially during crucial elections and the campaigns that influence them. When I worked with Cory Booker, his approach and demeanor exemplified the value of compromise. He can find the good in people, even those he disagrees with, no matter what—which is something I think the political atmosphere really needs. So while I wish we could have an AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] in every district, I also am keenly aware that that wouldn’t be a representation of the whole country.”

When seeking a graduate program that would complement her political experience, Hager said the focus on data-driven analytics that defines the Harris Master of Public Policy program was critical. “At Harris, I know I will be developing the hard skills necessary for real change.” Hager also cited a more personal draw to Harris: “The appeal of the stability and concrete accomplishment of a master’s degree from UChicago was immense. Not to be corny, but I’m inspired by my mom. She had a rough childhood but was able to still graduate with a bachelor's degree. I never thought I’d be good enough to go to college, but I ended up graduating from the top school in my state and now I’m going to UChicago.”

Hager plans to focus on policy implementation and political economics during her time at Harris. “Although I am well aware that policy change or government reform is accompanied by a slew of political complications, I recognize people are an inherent part of the system, and I want to be one of the leaders in that system. As my mentor during my early campaign work had observed, the effectiveness of any policy depends on the quality of the people backing it.”