Student Profile: Travis Feltz, MPP Class of 2027

Born and raised in Vancouver, Washington, Travis Feltz, MPP Class of 2027, is interested in the politics of aging. “I want to help ensure we have social safety nets in place to support people as they age.”

While Feltz said part of his motivation comes from his religious background, his mother has been his biggest inspiration. “The way she approaches her job at the local school district as a social worker has had a big impact on me. She also worked with Council for the Homeless, and together we volunteered with Share, an organization that helps people access food, shelter, affordable housing, and school supplies—in addition to providing activities for children. Essentially, I am inspired by how my mom cares for people, and that’s what led me to begin working at a retirement home while in high school and spurred my interest in ways to support aging populations.”

It was during a semester abroad in college that Feltz said his career goals began to coalesce. “I had an internship with the Washington D.C. Department of Aging. I supported the development of government programs for the local aging population that got them connected with social services. I was inspired by the way my supervisor emphasized human-centered design—it really spoke to me. Developing solutions by involving the population dealing with the challenge made sense, since often the best people to help solve the problem are the people going through it—as opposed to outside elements just imposing solutions on people that they think might work.”

Originally, Feltz said, he thought he would make his impact as a lawyer. “I majored in political science as an undergrad at Pepperdine University, because I thought it was the major for everybody who goes to law school. But then, after my internship in Washington, D.C. and talking with different people who were lawyers, I realized I didn't want to practice law. I wanted to fight for people, but the reality is most lawyers aren't necessarily doing that.”

Working on new policy with his team at the Department of Aging, however, got Feltz thinking about public policy. “When I spoke to some of my professors who had MPPs, I realized that was the path that I wanted to pursue.”

When exploring graduate programs, Feltz said he focused on quantitative programs. “I wasn’t necessarily focused on quantitative skills as an undergrad, and I appreciated Harris’ focus on statistics and economics—the overall rigor of curriculum. Plus, after exploring the Career Outcomes Report and seeing what Harris graduates go on to do, I feel like the skills I gain at Harris will help me secure a meaningful job, especially since those skills are transferable to many different careers.”

For prospective students, Feltz offered the following advice: “Besides staying on top of deadlines, I’d say stay involved and ask questions. Talking with people on the admissions team, just bouncing ideas off them and sharing my questions and concerns—just being able to have that dialogue—was really useful.”