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Graduate school is about more than academics. At Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy, your experience as a residential student is designed to support every part of your life and identity—whether you are here for two years, pursuing a dual degree, or engaging with the community over a longer period.
Here is how students describe life at Sanford.
A Community That Shows Up
At Sanford, one theme comes up again and again: community.
“What surprised me most about grad school is actually how much fun I’m having,” Izzy Bailey, MPP’27, shared. “The sense of community people talk about is not a lie. No matter how hard and grueling the academic work is, there’s always something fun to do to reward yourself afterward.”
Even the most challenging courses become shared experiences. Students collaborate through group study sessions, shared notes, and a sense of collective momentum.
“There was a lot of shared camaraderie—shared study guides, late nights studying together,” Katie Abramowitz, MPP’27, said. “It really helped me lean on my classmates.”
Support is not just informal, it is embedded in the culture. Students build relationships with faculty and advisors, connect with peers early, and regularly reach out to staff for guidance.
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MPP students participated in the 2026 MP3 Capstone Clash. 10 students presented 3 minute pitches of their master’s projects to a panel of judges and enthusiastic crowd.
A Campus Full of Opportunity
Student life at Sanford extends far beyond a single building, or even a single school.
Students frequently take classes across Duke and neighboring institutions. “I’ve taken classes in the business school, the engineering school, the divinity school, and even at UNC,” Andres Parraguirre, MIDP’26, explained. “That helped me broaden my perspective—not just in subjects, but in the people I met.”
That same openness applies to campus events. Students engage directly with leaders shaping policy today.
“It was really powerful to hear from people like Pete Buttigieg and Ro Khanna,” Kamala Mullur, MPP’27, shared. “They’re involved in things happening right now, and you get to hear from them directly.”
And students are not just attendees, they are creators. One group recently organized a lecture featuring a former president of Costa Rica, helping to build the event from the ground up.
“The school is open to supporting you if you take initiative, and will help build on your ideas,” Vivien La Torre, MIDP’26, said.
Research That Meets You Where You Are
Research opportunities at Sanford are both accessible and flexible, allowing students to engage in ways that align with their interests and experience.
“I’m a research assistant with the Duke Center for Child and Family Policy, and that’s been a really cool experience,” Victoria Griffin, MPP’27, said. “The research opportunities here are very broad. Some you can find by connecting with peers or noticing campus flyers, while others come from reaching out to professors, either to join their projects or develop your own research with faculty support.”
Students emphasize that research is not one-size-fits-all.
“There are different ways to engage,” Andres explained. “Even if you don’t have traditional research skills yet, you can contribute in other ways and learn in the process.”
Whether joining an existing project or designing something new, the focus is on applying ideas in meaningful, real-world ways.
Academics That Challenge and Connect
Sanford’s curriculum is rigorous, but it is also highly collaborative.
Students often highlight courses that push them intellectually while helping them connect ideas across disciplines.
“I really liked my microeconomics policy application class,” Katie said. “We were able to take introductory theories and apply them to different policy topics, which helped me understand on a deeper level what I was learning about in other classes.”
Flexibility in electives also allows students to explore new directions.
“It’s okay if you don’t know exactly what you want to focus on right now,” Andres shared. “During the Sanford journey, that starts to take shape.”
Balancing It All
Graduate school is demanding, but students say Sanford makes it possible to balance academics, professional growth, and personal life.
“I personally exist by my calendar,” Victoria said. “You will be busy, but you’re going to get the best experience. A lot of your professional development and other opportunities will coexist with your coursework, so it all works together.”
At the same time, students stress the importance of setting boundaries.
“There’s always an event on campus, there’s always somebody giving a talk. Sometimes you have to actually limit your events to make sure you are doing your homework, but they’re all fantastic opportunities,” Addison Rittgers, MPP’27, emphasized.
Wellness is also a core part of the student experience. Sanford offers dedicated resources to support graduate students’ well-being.
Community-Based Programming
Throughout the academic year, students can participate in events designed to help them recharge. Programming is shaped by student input and includes:
- Mental Health Mondays: Weekly sessions focused on practical strategies and peer discussion
- Wellness events: Yoga, crafting, gardening, and social gatherings
- Community traditions: Pancake breakfasts, stargazing events, and therapy dog visits
A Place for Many Paths
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Sanford brings together students from a wide range of backgrounds and life stages.
“Across programs, we have people coming straight from undergrad, people with years of work experience, and students with families,” Addison noted. “That variety really adds richness and depth to not only the educational experience, but your personal relationships and friendships as well.”
International students also highlight the strength of the support systems in place.
“As an international student, it can be challenging to find ourselves in between cultures when we’re living abroad, but Duke has really good systems in place to provide care and support,” Nishchhal Kharal, MIDP’26, shared.
This diversity of perspectives is consistently cited as one of Sanford’s greatest strengths, both inside and outside the classroom.
The Sanford Difference
Student life at Sanford is defined by the people around you and the community you build together.
As one student put it: “It’s not just about the grades, it’s about what you learn, the experiences you have, and who you become along the way.”
About the students quoted in this blog post
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Izzy is a first-year MPP student from McLean, Virginia and a Wesleyan University graduate with a double major in Government and American Studies. At Wesleyan, she worked as a Research Assistant on a legal research project examining state courts and legislatures, and as a Teaching Assistant for a Civil Rights and Civil Liberties course. Her policy experience includes internships with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Office of Policy and Strategic Planning under Secretary Gina Raimondo and the Democratic staff of the House Rules Committee, as well as volunteer work with Girls Inc., a nonprofit focused on empowering young women. These experiences fueled her commitment to public service and her decision to pursue an MPP. Her interests center on social policy, economic justice, and improving outcomes for children and families.
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Addison is a first-year MPP student from rural Indiana. She graduated summa cum laude from Wheaton College (IL) with a B.A. in Biblical and Theological Studies. Her academic interests center on social policy, with a particular focus on housing, food security, and child welfare programs, driven by a strong belief in the power of data-informed interventions. She hopes to build a career in data analysis or policy research in the urban and social policy space.
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Nish is a second-year MIDP student, originally from Kathmandu, Nepal. He is an artist, researcher, and Rotary Peace Fellow whose work sits at the intersection of creativity, technology, and social change. His interests span peacebuilding, digital transformation, decolonizing aid, leadership coaching, and holistic healing through meditation and sound. With a background in conflict transformation, international development, creative communication, and strategic design, he has partnered with grassroots leaders, businesses, and organizations on campaigns, digital strategies, brand identities, and community well-being initiatives. He is passionate about co-creating resilient systems centered on justice, healing, and imagination.
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Victoria is a first-year MPP student, North Carolina native and graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University with a bachelor's degree in political science. Prior to graduate school, she built her career in the nonprofit sector focused on education equity. As a policy fellow at the Fannie Lou Hamer Institute, she researched school push-out and its disproportionate impact on Black girls. She then moved into community partner management with The Village Mentoring, Inc., where she established mentorship programs with underfunded public schools to support Black males. As a fellow with EducationNC, a journalism platform and nonprofit working to expand educational opportunities in North Carolina, she wrote extensively on equity gaps across all levels of the state's education system. She also spent two years in the private sector supporting DEI and communications efforts. These experiences have shaped her vision for sufficiently funded, culturally competent learning environments, and her academic interests in education, environmental, and tech policy
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Katie is a first-year MPP student from the Washington, D.C., area and a graduate of Bates College, where she majored in Psychology and Theater. After graduating in 2021, she worked as a research assistant at Project Zero, an institute at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, under the direction of Dr. Howard Gardner and Wendy Fischman. Her work there focused on higher education, sparking a passion for expanding college access and improving completion rates. At Sanford, she hopes to build her quantitative research skills and deepen her knowledge of economic and education policy.
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Andres is a second-year MIDP student from Mexico. He holds a degree in business management from the University of Veracruz, Mexico, and a Diploma in Global Leadership from the United Nations University for Peace. After graduating, he received a scholarship to study the principles of "social business" as defined by Nobel Peace Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus, spending three months in Bangladesh before moving to Thailand to work at Yunus Center AIT. He later returned to Mexico to found a nonprofit dedicated to sharing those methods and giving back to the communities that supported him. Since then, he has led multi-sector projects aimed at empowering local communities and youth. In the MIDP program, Andres is focused on developing the skills to translate social and environmental initiatives into well-designed, high-impact policies.
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Vivien is a second-year MIDP student from Peru. She holds a degree in Business Engineering from Universidad del Pacífico (Perú) and has specialized in nonprofit projects at Solvay Brussels School (Belgium). She has also earned certifications as an Executive Coach from Pacífico Business School (Perú), a 280-hour Yoga Teacher certification from Centro Veda (Perú), and a 200-hour Yoga Teacher certification from Akasha Yoga Center (Thailand). Vivien brings six years of experience working with nonprofit organizations such as Yo soy Perú and Peru Te Quiero. She also spent the six years working as deputy assistant manager at leading banks in Peru, including Interbank and Banco de Crédito del Perú (BCP). During her MIDP studies, Vivien aims to enhance her skills in developing sustainable and innovative projects that contribute to sustainable finance growth and empowerment of local communities.
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Kamala is a first-year MPP student from Cincinnati, Ohio, and a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where she double majored in public policy and medicine, health, and society. Before coming to Sanford, she worked as an analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), conducting performance audits on federal programs within the Physical Infrastructure mission team.