Inside the Korbel School: A Student’s Perspective on Studying Public Policy at the Korbel School

Written by: Zoe Lopez, BA in Public Policy, Class of 2028

Growing up, my mom worked for State Representative Mike Villareal. At the time, I did not know what this meant, but as an adult, I realize how much her work then has influenced my life now. I learned how to ride my bike on the Capitol grounds. I remember coloring on official state letterhead while waiting for my mom to wrap up her days in the office during the legislative session. We still hang all 10 of our state capitol ornaments on our Christmas tree every year, one to represent every year she worked for the state. These little moments, as insignificant as they seemed at the time, planted the seeds for my interest in a career in public policy.

Growing up not only understanding our legislative processes, but getting to witness them firsthand at such a young age has been a pivotal privilege in my experiences thus far in the policy world because I was quickly able to shift from utilizing this knowledge as a teenager to participate in advocacy days at the capitol, to getting to plan and host lobby days to help students at the university level do the exact same thing.

I was very lucky that in high school I had a very clear idea of what I wanted to study in college. Unfortunately, it remains a pretty niche area of study for undergraduate students, which narrowed my options for college. My high school counselor introduced me to the University of Denver right before the application deadline, thinking it would be worth my while to just apply and see what happened. I will admit, I did not know anything about the school and had never considered it an option.

After having the opportunity to tour the campus, meet with a few members of the staff and faculty, and talk with a few students, I quickly realized that I would be calling Korbel home for the next four years. Unlike so many other programs I looked into where I felt like I was settling for a major, coming to Korbel made me feel like I had endless opportunities ahead of me.

Each and every course I have taken at Korbel in my nearly two years here has challenged my thinking, sharpened my policy analysis skills, and better prepared me for entering the field post-grad. My classmates are thoughtful and inquisitive, making group discussions inside and outside of class thought-provoking and challenging at times. The Korbel speaker series events allow us as students to engage with experts across a multitude of fields to learn more about real-life applications of the theory and skills we are developing through our coursework. The diverse interests of students also enhances the quality of our experience. In my last class with Dr. Simms, we had students who were active at so many levels of the policymaking and implementation process, from interns at the state capitol to interns with non-profit and mutual aid organizations doing field work to students working as research assistants in housing equity.

I think my affection for my experience thus far in Korbel is evident, but it is all rooted in the overwhelmingly positive experiences I have had. I truly cannot imagine choosing anywhere else to complete my Bachelor's in Public Policy because the diversity of experiences that Korbel has provided me is invaluable and highly unique to our program.

Whether you are a high school senior still exploring your options for college or a current DU student still trying to figure out what you want to do, Korbel could be the place for you too.