Student Profile: Nina Sedeño, MPP Class of 2022

Nina Sedeño, MPP Class of 2022, grew up on the northside of Chicago. Sedeño knew in high school that she wanted to pursue higher education. “Although I was worried about tuition,  I had teachers and mentors who encouraged me.” Sedeño eventually applied for and received scholarships to attend Northwestern University, where she earned degrees in International Studies and Political Science.

As a first-generation college student, Sedeño said she was nervous about the academic challenges ahead. “There was a lot of pressure to succeed and to be a good role model to those around me. I wanted to be able to show that people from my community could succeed in college.” Sedeño said she frequently had to fight off “imposter syndrome” and tell herself that it would be worth the effort and sacrifice.

After graduating from Northwestern in 2018, Sedeño began working as the Community Engagement administrative assistant at The Kedzie Center, the first community-funded mental health center in Chicago. “Many who use the center are immigrants; in addition to supporting their mental health care, I help them access immigration and housing resources.”

Sedeño continued working at The Kedzie Center—part-time during her first year in the Harris Master of Public Policy program—and further confirmed her desire to pursue her degree in public policy. “I wanted to study public policy to see how policy works in action, and Harris was my top choice. I did not have a quantitative background, and I wanted to gain those skills.”

While Sedeño noted that the Core was challenging, she said the experience has been incredibly valuable. “I have only been in the program one year, but I have already learned so much. I can tell that I will come away with significant knowledge and experience.”

Sedeño took a break from quantitative courses in her spring quarter to focus on her area of interest, immigration and refugee policy. Her courses included a class on humanitarian aid with Professor Rebecca Wolfe and one on refugee policy at the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.

Sedeño also spent much of her first year at Harris participating in Maroon Mates, UChicagoGRAD’s peer mentoring program specifically for underrepresented graduate students. “I’m looking forward to participating in other student organizations committed to creating inclusive spaces during my second year.”

This summer, Sedeño will be a federal policy intern at the Vera Institute of Justice in Washington DC, an organization that works to end mass incarceration of people of color, immigrants, and people experiencing poverty, secure justice and equality, and strengthen families. She hopes to learn how these issues are interconnected with immigrant and refugee policy.

“I learned about the opportunity with the Vera Institute through the CDO’s weekly internship emails,” Sedeño said, “and was interested in the Institute’s focus on social justice. Since many of my interests are rooted in social justice, it seemed like a good and relevant opportunity. I also really wanted to see how policy is made at the federal level since much of my experience has been at the local level, working with communities and local officials.” 

Sedeño is still deciding what she wants to do after graduation. “I know I want to continue strengthening immigrant and refugee communities. It may be locally in Chicago, at the national level, or perhaps internationally. I am committed to social justice work, and plan to use my internship to explore relevant opportunities in the field,” she said.

For potential applicants—especially those who are first-generation students—Sedeño offered the following advice: “Take that first step and apply. Ask questions and talk to faculty and students. That may seem intimidating, but there are people and resources available to support you through the process.”