Program Assistant Introduction: Kamayah Scruggs MPA ’26

Hi! My name is Kamayah Scruggs and I am a second-year MPA student at Columbia SIPA. I am concentrating in Economic & Political Development (EPD) with a specialization in Technology, Communications, and Media (TMAC). Prior to starting my degree at SIPA, I graduated from Spelman College and received my Bachelors degree in International Studies and Economics. I entered SIPA straight out of undergrad, so I didn’t have any full-time work experience prior to SIPA, but I did have some great internship opportunities that helped to prepare me for my time here: such as my internship at CNN International on the Productions Team, my internship for the House of Representatives, and my time a USAID International Development fellow. 

What attracted me to SIPA?:

I chose SIPA, because I had always dreamed of living in New York and I knew that this could be my one chance to experience the city. I was also a USAID Fellow, and the fellowship offered additional financial coverage for fellows that selected partner universities, and SIPA was one of those partner schools that we could choose from, so it seemed like the perfect choice! I also enjoyed the international diversity and creativity of the cohort. 

What experiences prepared me?:

My previous degree in International Studies prepared me well for the curriculum at SIPA and helped to ease me into this new environment. While I was still deciding on SIPA, it also helped me to speak to current students and to hear their thoughts and advice regarding SIPA. Speaking with current students eased a lot of my worries and allowed me insight into the daily lives of students at SIPA.

What most surprised me about SIPA?:

I was most surprised by how welcoming and community-oriented the students here at SIPA are. I was nervous about moving to New York and I was unsure of what the environment and the culture was like at SIPA, but once I got here, I was immediately welcomed into the community. I made new friends within the first 30 minutes of my time here and for me, that reassured me that I had made the right decision. I met most of my friends at Admitted Students Day and during the SIPA Orientation before the first week of classes. The community that you surround yourself with is what makes this experience so incredible, and I think overall the best part about SIPA are these incredible students that are passionate, caring, and dedicated to this field.

Advice for current applicants:
I would tell all applicants to be themselves in the application process. My time at SIPA has shown me that everyone is brilliant and skilled in their own ways, but what makes us stand out as SIPA students is our passion and our stories. Everyone here has such a powerful story and a reason for being here at SIPA: some plan to enact positive change in their countries, others plan to create groundbreaking NGOs and companies, and some just want to learn and become global citizens. Everyone’s stories are important and when applying to SIPA, your story is what will make you stand out. So, my advice to applicants is to craft a personal statement that shares your story, your passion, and your why. The written statements are the main ways that the admissions committee can get to know you, so use that space to show who you are. 

Something interesting about my concentration/program:

I am in the Economic and Political Development Concentration-which is now referred to as the Development and Governance (D&G) concentration. I have loved my time in this concentration, because it feels like a community and the program director Jenny McGill is amazing. When you first enter SIPA, every concentration has a retreat where you get to know your fellow first-year cohort members in your concentration. This retreat is a chance to connect with each other, bond, and create long-lasting friendships and connections. Even throughout the semester, every concentration will have socials and gatherings for the students so that you can get to know each other. I also enjoy the class options that EPD (now D&G) provides, because the concentration has many focus areas such as: development, governance, economics, and politics, so we have many class options to choose from. I was able to take classes on race and international development, technology policy with the TPI (Technology, Policy, and Innovation) Director Professor Schiffrin & Nobel Prize winner Maria Ressa, and the Inside the Situation Room class with Dean Yarhi-Milo and Professor Clinton. 

What are my goals for my second-year at SIPA

My first-year at SIPA, I was still getting acclimated to the city and the new environment, so I didn’t take advantage of as many opportunities as I could have, and in my second year I would like to do that more. SIPA offers tons of networking opportunities, social events, and office hour sessions with professors and staff, and these are all great ways to stay connected with the SIPA community and should be taken advantage of. I would also like to expand my connections and get to know more people in my cohort, because graduation is fast approaching and this may be my last time to connect with or have in-depth conversations with some of these incredible students at SIPA. 

What has been the most challenging part of my SIPA experience:

The most challenging part of my experience was getting acclimated to the workload. I came to SIPA just a few months after graduating from undergrad, so while I thought I was prepared for the level of intensity of the courses, I was actually not as prepared as I had thought. I quickly learned that I needed a community in order to balance the course workload and sought that out. Within the first few weeks of classes we started establishing homework groups, group chats for class to help each other out, and I started creating a balance between personal time and coursework time. It is easy at SIPA to want to do it all and to sign up for everything, but the best piece of advice I can give is to pace yourself. You have two years to experience everything, so invest in things you are passionate about and surround yourself with a community that can help you along the way.