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Mary Beth Corazzini, 2000 MPA Graduate with a concentration in Non-Profit Management
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Marybeth, MPA '00 with a concentration in Non-Profit Management, is currently an Assistant Program Officer of the Citi Foundation in New York. Her responsibilities include managing the Arts & Culture portfolio and the selection of Citi Mentors and summer internship placements for Citi scholarship recipients, as well as the Academy of Finance local grants program for high schools throughout the United States. Ms. Corazzini holds a B.A. in Political Science/International Relations from Tulane University.
Prior to joining Citi, Marybeth was a Program Assistant at the Open Society Institute working with the Chairman of The After-School Corporation. She gained experience in after-school and youth programs while working as an Academic Coordinator at a boarding school in Boston and as an After-School Site Supervisor in New Orleans Public Schools. She served on the New York City Steering Committee for EPIP (Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy) and was involved with the New York Regional Association of Grant makers Increasing Diversity Committee. In addition, Marybeth is a Junior Achievement business volunteer and volunteers with the Taproot Foundation as a Project Manager assisting non-profit organizations in New York City with the development of their annual reports.
Why did you choose to attend SIPA?
“I chose to attend SIPA because they did a good job marketing the resources of the campus as a whole. At that time I was, and continue to be, interested in education policy and wanted to take classes at other schools like Teachers College (TC). I wanted to take advantage of all the resources available to me by studying at SIPA and I did. I took classes at TC, the Urban Planning School, the Law School and the Business School.”
What was the best of your experience at SIPA?
“The best part of my experience was that SIPA connected me to the next step of getting a job and starting a career with an MPA. From the beginning SIPA offered me the opportunity to explore the different career paths available after graduation. While at SIPA, I did an internship with the City of New York and another one in Corporate Philanthropy. It was challenging to balance the coursework with the planning for the future, but it was a rewarding experience as it prepares you for the job market. Looking back now, I also think the group work was very helpful because you get exposed to different learning and working styles. To understand the way people get tasks accomplished is a very useful skill to have in the real world.”
Can you comment on the marketability of an MPA degree in the market?
“I think the MPA positions you pretty well in the foundation world, most of my colleagues have an MPA.”
What's your estimation of SIPA's reputation in academic and professional settings?
“I think SIPA's reputation is good, and particularly, in New York everybody knows about SIPA. I think academically people will al ways be impressed with Columbia as a university from the Ivy League.”
What's the most valuable thing you took away from your time at SIPA?
“The network, the exposure to different careers options and the emphasis on professional development.”
Do you keep in touch with your fellow SIPA alumni?
“I do keep in touch with former classmates and have also connected with people that went to SIPA after I graduated either through professional networks such as the New York Regional Granmaker's Association (NYRAG) or alumni happy hours. I have met quite a few people that I now consider friends and resources in the business world.”
In your view, what type of person is "right" for SIPA?
“A person that is certainly interested in having a global perspective on policy and a person that wants to take advantage of all the opportunities that SIPA has to offer in terms of the professors and the classes.”
Do you have any regrets about attending SIPA?
“No regrets.”
If you had to do it all over again, would you still choose SIPA as your graduate program?
“I would. First, because it is located in New York City and, second, because it is part of Columbia University. I have worked at campus recruiting in Citigroup and I know that they will choose people based on their GPA and the schools they attended.”
What was it like to attend graduate school in New York City?
“Attending school in New York is a great experience. You have access to major corporations, non-for-profit institutions, and, if you are interested in policy, working for the city of New York is a major experience. For instance, the budget for the city is sometimes larger than the budget of a lot of countries. The resources you find in this city are infinite. Here you find the most cutting edge work in the world in a number of different fields. “
Do you think SIPA graduates "make a difference" in the world?
“Yes. Most of my friends work in philanthropy, the non-for profit sector or the government. SIPA graduates are concerned with making a difference versus students coming directly from the business school where there priority sometimes is more related to the money they will make.”
Did SIPA help you find suitable employment upon your graduation?
“Yes, I think the career service was helpful.”