MNSP Graduates Share Advice on Balancing Work, Family and Graduate School

During the Master of National Security Policy program’s recent immersion week, students gathered at Duke’s Sanford School of Public Policy for an in-person panel with recent graduates Andrew Vu, Julia Rivera, Jesse Gooley and Victoria Zuchowski. Vu facilitated the conversation, which offered students practical advice on managing a heavy reading load, coordinating group work across demanding schedules and building connections within the cohort.

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The panel also highlighted the paths graduates have taken since completing the program. Zuchowski, who earned her MNSP while serving on active duty, returned to Sanford this week to begin the Master of Public Policy program.

“Hearing this panel of MNSP alumni pass on what they learned and how they’re putting their MNSPs to work after graduating confirms our goal: to develop outstanding leaders in national security who make their teams better and accelerate their careers,” said Simon Miles, MNSP director of graduate studies and Kevin D. Gorter Associate Professor of Public Policy.

Managing the Workload

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“I think organization and being aware of the workload that’s coming and trying to plan for that is helpful. I have to get creative as far as my consumption of material. I think when you get into some of the other classes, the reading load is very heavy. And so I use tools like Speechify that you can kind of listen to. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven from Raleigh over here, listening to material on the way. I think you gotta find the balance that is right for you.”

Jesse Gooley

“The most challenging was just managing it like a job, right? Just the course load and keeping your eye on all of the deliverables and sort of the timeline. So for me, a hack besides kind of getting readings into one place was also just treating it like a project and building out my own tracker of when everything was due.”

Andrew Vu

Making Learning a Team Effort

“And the last thing I would say that came up in our last term was, one of the professors in our last term actually just recommended that we basically team up to figure out how to divide readings. And then, basically back brief each other if we didn’t have time to cover everything. And so really making it more of a team sport than just suffering alone, under the load of instruction.”

Andrew Vu

“I kind of view this as like a bigger version of a team-based exercise, especially for the 12 monthers. You’re gonna get a lot all at once, especially if you’re working full time.”

Julia Rivera

Communicating Across Demanding Schedules

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“Actually, the last semester, Andrew, Victoria, and I were all in the same group. And I think between the three of us, Andrew has started a new job. I switched my sleep schedule by 12 hours and Victoria had a brand new baby at home. So it was really just about being able to communicate with each other and just remembering everyone else is just as busy as you. So being a little bit forgiving on that and kind of flexing with each other and picking up where someone else left off and just really working as a team, I think, for me, helped a lot.”

Julia Rivera

“Our fourth teammate was a staffer on the Hill. And so we would be trying to join her to make calls, weird hours, weird locations, just whatever we could to get through our project. … I think you just have to be willing to figure it out with each of your teams and each semester in each class.”

Andrew Vu

Building Connections at Duke

“I did take advantage of coming here to see guest speakers and just trying to stay plugged into what’s going on. I think the biggest benefit for me was the cohort itself. And during the immersions, taking the time to grab lunch with folks, meet up together.”

Jesse Gooley

Returning to Sanford

“I’m actually getting ready to start the MPP program here in August. So I’ve had a lot of diverse jobs in the military. I started enlisted as an MP, commissioned in the infantry, went to civil affairs selection and recently got picked up for strategist, which is why I’m back here for an MPP, starting in August. I fell in love with the school, and decided when it was time to get my second masters that there’s no other place I wanted to be.”

Victoria Zuchowski