Where Passion Meets Policy: The Story of Samantha Kent, AM’20

Samantha Kent, AM’20, is the Director of Public Policy Analysis for the Washington, D.C.-based American Forest & Paper Association. She grew up in Newtown, Connecticut, where her interest in social action led to her lobbying state legislatures and Congress, community service, and volunteering as a Hebrew school teacher. Here, she discusses her road to, and from, the Harris School of Public Policy.

What led you to public policy?

I had big dreams: I wanted to be a doctor, and I was going to cure cancer.

I started volunteering at Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which is a camp for kids with life-threatening illnesses and chronic diseases – something I’m still intimately involved in, nearly 15 years later. I was a lifeguard, an EMT, and I volunteered at children’s hospitals. When the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happened, I had a change of perspective, realizing I wanted to get engaged earlier in the lifesaving process. What I didn’t realize yet was that public policy could afford me that possibility.

How has being from Newtown affected you?

When something like the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting happens, it can change everything about you and everything you thought you knew. Most obviously, you’re not sitting here talking to Dr. Samantha Kent, pediatric oncologist. I didn’t become a doctor. The shooting happened my junior year in college, so it had a profound impact on the choices I made as I began life post-undergrad.

After college, I moved to Chicago and was warmly embraced by the deep and diverse gun violence prevention network there. I learned about the broader concepts of community violence prevention, the intersectionality with domestic violence and other community-based factors, and I further honed my own involvement in this ever-broadening club. The gun violence prevention movement is where I was first truly introduced to the legislative process, policymaking, and what happens when data isn’t centered in solutions. Also, the importance of engaging diverse audiences and experiences in your research. (The “Harris writings” were on the walls. In bold, capital letters.) I spent the better part of ten years engaging in public speaking, advocating for data- and fact-based policy interventions, and ensuring all voices were heard in our advocacy efforts.

At the end of the day, I couldn’t be prouder of being from Newtown, the way that we responded to tragedy, and the resiliency we’ve shown the world. Ultimately, it’s that strength and courage I carry with me every day (like so many others do, now, too) – I’m grateful for the place(s) that made me.

What were you doing when you joined Harris’ Evening Masters Program? What professors stood out to you?

I worked at Allstate, where I was exposed to many different roles: from the law department to pilot a public policy position, to the communications department, where it was my job to figure out why people behave the way they do and what that meant for our business – a dream! By the time I applied to Harris and got in, it was the third cohort for the evening program. The stars had aligned.

One faculty member who stood out was Daniel Moskowitz, who taught our first data analytics course. It was his first class at Harris – a shock to us all! – and he’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. He updated and navigated the curriculum throughout the course, based on our progress: It was incredible. He responded to what we needed to ensure our success.

The faculty impact on the evening masters program persists – I’m still in touch with many of my professors. The gift that keeps on giving!

How did the Harris degree influence your life?

For starters, I had this nice little piece of paper that said UChicago. As much as that shouldn’t matter more than your demonstrated abilities, the degree helped me stand a little taller and break down resistance from people. It also gave me a rigorous academic vocabulary to infuse with what I was already saying and doing at work and in my personal advocacy roles. Harris has helped me be able to speak from a position of ownership.

I’m the person I always hoped I could be because of Harris, which is a really grand statement– but I also mean it.

How did you land at the American Forest & Paper Association?

This job came out of nowhere. The job description was all about being data and science-based, basically the professional version of “social impact, down to science,” but specific to the pulp and paper industry. It’s about using information, data, and resources to inform public policy.

At least once a week, I tell my mom, a friend, quite possibly a random stranger, “This is the work I’ve always wanted to do, and I would be happy doing it forever.” A lot of my job right now is focused on keeping our staff updated on the federal administration’s policy and regulatory changes, which are many. But I’m also focused on long-term solutions for regulatory sustainability and certainty.

How do you spend your spare time?

I have a dog, a lovely Chicago boy from the Anti-Cruelty Society on LaSalle Street, so I spend a lot of time with him and our puppy/people pals. And D.C. has a great food scene. I haven’t even made a dent in the delicious food here. My neighbors and I are doing our best to check off the best happy hours. If you’re ever in town, we’ll happily share our recommendations! And of course, there’s weekly trivia at Red Bear – a D.C. classic.

How do you describe your Harris experience to people?

My cohort was filled with some of the most amazing people I will ever meet. They’re in my life forever. I often joke that if I had to get stuck in a Groundhog Day situation and repeat the same experience of my life over again forever, I would happily get stuck in my Harris experience. When Dean Ethan Bueno de Mesquita was here in D.C., I went to his talk, and he spoke about this vision for UChicago. His vision was my truth – experiential learning, practical application of academia, quality and diverse cohorts; I’d lived the ideal of what a Harris education could be.