Student Profile, Nathan Held, MPP Class of 2027

Nathan Held, MPP Class of 2027, has long sought to make an impact through public service. “I always knew I wanted to serve my country, so attending West Point as an undergraduate was an honor and a privilege. It is one of the most structured and mission-driven institutions in the world, and I’m sure the rigor of the program will help me find success in the quantitative challenges at Harris.”

After completing his degree in chemical engineering (“I wanted to be challenged academically, and I definitely was”), Held went on to serve in the US Army for almost a decade, including a deployment to Afghanistan as a Field Artillery Officer. After a medical retirement ended his military career in 2021, Held began navigating civilian life. “One key principle from my time at West Point that guided my exploration of public service pathways was the idea of servant leadership—the idea that the most effective leader is one who focuses on supporting their team.”

To that end, Held began taking classes at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business  through the Graham School. “Those classes were invaluable in getting me to think about public service from a more all-encompassing standpoint—and they spurred me to apply to Harris. I realized I wanted to do more than just work with numbers. I wanted to work with people—every day—in my professional career, and I appreciated that Harris emphasizes the human aspect in addition to the rigorous quantitative curriculum it’s known for. It's a place where people can make an impact together, inside and outside the classroom.”

Engaging in policy, Held said, will allow him to continue serving outside the uniform. “I am inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s words: ‘the less we use our power, the greater it will be.’” Held continued, “Harris provides unique opportunities to apply my past experiences and expand my problem-solving toolkit.”

Held added, “I’m also inspired by fellow career civil servant and alum, Sonnet Frisbie. She definitely demonstrates the significant impact an individual applying a quantitative approach can have in alleviating human suffering.”

During his time at Harris, Held said he aims to explore municipal finance, education policy, and data analytics—three areas he believes are interconnected and central to America’s long-term resilience. “At West Point, I began to develop the skills to look at a policy-related issue and see how it connects to national security concerns. For example, as part of an application process for the Education Pioneers’ Fellowship, I presented an analysis of three K-12 educational challenges facing the US. First, what is our nation’s ability to meet K-12 desired educational outcomes? Second, how are we as a nation serving marginalized communities in meeting those goals? Finally, how do those two elements connect to who's willing to serve—and who’s selected to serve? At Harris, I aim to gain the analytic skills to strengthen such analyses and make them more robust.”

Held also seeks to help foster a culture of servant leadership while at Harris. “We’re all a team, regardless of the size of our role on that team. That mindset inspires me when I connect with people, because I see people tend to respond in kind.”