Program Assistant Introduction: Shally Baloch, MPA '23

Note from Admissions: We're excited to welcome our new group of program assistants (PAs) working with us here in the SIPA Office of Admissions and Financial Aid. They’ll specifically be helping you through the application and decision process over the next few months through answering your emails, calls, and writing relevant blog posts to help you during this admission process. You can learn more about assistantships and what PAs do here. So far, you've met PA Jules and we are excited to continue to introduce our PAs!

Shally Baloch is a second year MPA candidate concentrating in Urban and Social Policy and specializing in Data Analytics and Quantitative Analysis. She grew up right outside of Washington D.C. in Reston, Virginia and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Virginia, where she double majored in Biology and Psychology. During her time at the UVA, Shally was involved with student organizations such as the Minority Rights Organization, the Muslim Institute for Leadership and Empowerment, as wellas the Human Rights Commission of Charlottesville. Prior to joining SIPA, she worked in middle school operations in New York City. As a student, Shally has prioritized coursework that will provide her the ability to work at the intersection of social welfare policy focused on healthcare, education, and data-driven outcomes. In her free time, you can find Shally listening to One Direction, on a long walk, exploring ice cream shops, or at one of NYC’s many museums (the Whitney, in particular).

What was the most challenging aspect of the application process?

For me, it was creating a compelling narrative on why my career and academic focus shifted from the hard sciences to applying to a professional public policy program. I needed to prove to both admissions and myself that I would be able to manage SIPA’s academic rigor albeit never having taken a course in economics or political science. I used the last optional essay to really address the core of my academic shift, which I had not mentioned in the application prior to it. Of the four essays, it was the one I spent the most time on and answering the “why” required me to also be sure that SIPA would provide me the experience I was looking for.

What has been the best part of your SIPA experience?

The best part of my SIPA experience thus far has been the people, of course. The professors are incredibly supportive and are available to not only discuss classwork, but also provide support and resources in terms of finding internships and jobs, or to just talk about life generally. Moreover, despite the larger class sizes in economics or quantitative analysis, you can get to know the professors by going to their office hours, scheduling meetings, or even going to general SIPA events. An even greater experience has been getting to know my SIPA peers. I love the feeling of sitting in class and being in awe of the experiences, knowledge, and passion that my classmates bring. I feel that I have so much to learn from them, the lives they lived prior to SIPA, and the aspirations they have for after. SIPA is an incredible community and putting in the effort to know my fellow Seeples has enriched my time here tenfold. I did not anticipate how many new friends and joyful conversations I would have when I applied, and I feel lucky that I will leave SIPA with many lifelong friendships.

How did you find the core curriculum at SIPA?

I was very nervous about the core curriculum, particularly economics. I found that many of my classmates either studied economics in college or worked in jobs related to economics prior to SIPA– it was hard to not already feel behind. However, there was so much support from professors, TAs, my problem set group, and peers that it felt nearly impossible to not do well. Alternatively, even having already taken many years of statistics classes, quantitative analysis at SIPA was such a great experience and I felt that I got a lot out of it. I remember on the first day of class my professor saying, “Maybe some of you will go on to take Quant 2, Quant 3, and beyond,” and thinking to myself, “not me.” Yet, here I am in my third quant class thinking about how I can make a career out of this. So all this to say, the core was fun and guided me to a discipline that I am really enjoying.

What are your goals for the second year?

My first goal is to truly make the most of SIPA’s class offerings. This may be the last time I am ever in school and learning in a formal setting, so I am trying to take as many interesting classes as I can. I feel so lucky for this experience so I am not shying away from adding more classes to my course load. I am spending this year building up my knowledge in the specific policy fields I am interested in: healthcare and education, and trying to find how I can combine them into a career. Furthermore, of the many classes I am trying to take, most of them are hard skills based in data analysis, so learning to code and doing statistical analysis are major skills that I want to leave SIPA being proficient in. Beyond that, hanging out with my SIPA besties is always a priority.

What kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate?

I think part of the SIPA magic is introducing you to new paths you would not have otherwise considered. I have, in the last year, gone through phases of “I should apply to be a diplomat,” or “what about getting a PhD,” to “international development sounds cool.” It's one of the many reasons why SIPA’s program stands out, as the diverse curriculum opens doors to a variety of different work fields: policy, education, humanitarian aid, and more. While any of those could happen in the future, ultimately, I would love to be in programming for an organization that works on youth development. To work with children by creating programs that enrich and empower their growth, particularly by applying policy research in the realm of mental health advocacy, would be the dream.