by Domenica Clark, MPA 1st year student and ambassador October 31, 2018

I recently attended Return to Evergreen on October 20 – 21, a weekend event where alumni, current students, and community members gathered for a variety of workshops, talks and social activities. As a part of this event, the Women Making Waves panel included two graduates from the Master of Public Administration program, including panel organizer and moderator Diana Arens (‘93, MPA ‘15), and Malika Lamont (‘15). As a current MPA student, it was fascinating to hear about current work of program graduates. Overall, the panel was an enlightening look at the myriad ways people can make a difference in their community.

Malika Lamont, (MPA ’15) is currently a LEAD Project Manager at the Public Defender Association. Her Evergreen education prepared her for her work when she learned about the concepts of harm reduction, which is a “set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use.” She believes meeting people where they are in life is critical to effecting change. This means either having productive and respectful conversations with people who may be facing challenges or don’t agree with you. For the individuals she works with that are struggling with drug addiction, this means compassionate listening and understanding.

Malika offered advice for students who are looking to get into the field of public policy and advocacy work: “If you have a passion, they will teach the tools to build on skills”. She is referring to the Master of Public Administration faculty, who like undergraduate faculty will help you shape what you want to learn in your Evergreen education.

The central message from the women on this panel was that if you see an area that needs change, you should take action with others and work to make it happen. Evergreen alumni Jennifer Allen repeatedly emphasized that if you want to run for public office, you should and utilize the many resources available to help you do it. Current Olympia City Council member Renata Rollins also echoed this approach. She also ran for office when she saw a need in her community that wasn’t being addressed.

Evergreen women graduates are certainly making waves, as this panel showcased. The panel showed the many ways one can make change, either through a DIY approach, or through Evergreen undergraduate or graduate work.