Student Spotlight: Laurel Harnett, Class of 2019

A career in public policy is reached by paths as individual as the people who follow them. In the case of Laurel Harnett, the journey began with the breakup of her parents’ marriage while she was still in high school. “As the oldest of four children, I felt an obligation to be a role model for my younger siblings. I thought if I could show them the way, it would help them make the right choices,” Laurel says. “When they didn’t seem to follow my example and got into some hot water, it made me wonder about other children. Maybe some people start on the wrong path because they have to deal with difficult situations while they’re still kids.”

Dealing with her own loss of security, Laurel found a sense of personal empowerment through academic success. Although no one in her family had gone to college, she decided to continue her education. “To me, and I think to many of my generation, a higher education is a vital investment in a successful and meaningful future,” Laurel says.

She began her college career at DePaul University in Chicago, but as her interest in the connection between family structure and social issues deepened, she transferred to Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, as a criminal/social justice major.

While still an undergraduate student, Laurel worked as a court-appointed special advocate for neglected and abused wards of the State of Illinois in the Will County juvenile court system. “Earning the trust of these kids is crucial. In one case, it enabled me to ask very specific questions about a child’s life and get the information I needed to help her,” Laurel observes. “I realized that if I hadn’t questioned her as I did, she might have been one of those cases that slips through the cracks. It taught me the importance of gaining people’s trust and framing questions that dig beneath the surface. These are skill sets that Harris teaches and cultivates.”

Laurel explains: “I came to Harris because my work as a court-appointed advocate showed me the difference public policy can make in the lives of children and families. I knew that Harris would provide me with the necessary tools to become a consultant to government agencies that shape these policies.”

In addition to her academic studies, Laurel works as a research assistant in the Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab, the research laboratory of the Center for Human Potential and Public Policy at the University of Chicago. “It seemed like a perfect fit for me,” Laurel says. “We recruit eligible parents to participate in a support program for families with children ages three to five. Then we teach them how to help their kids be more successful in school and in life.”

“This program addresses the very issues that inspired me to continue my education,” Laurel says. “The work I’m doing now is an example of how Harris has enabled me to shape my education beyond academic classes. I’m able to invest in my own growth as a student — and as a person.”

Part of that growth is serving as a student ambassador on Team Harris, where Laurel introduces future students to the school through webinars, student panels, and on-campus coffee chats. One of the insights she shares is that despite the rigor of its academic programs, the Harris environment is a highly collaborative one. “My classmates have become my network and support group — certainly here on campus, but also for the future,” Laurel says. “After all, we may be in different disciplines, but we are all here to make the world a better place and to work hard to help each other achieve that goal.”