Graduate Program in Public Policy Alumni Profiles
Shangir Siddique
Summer 2016 Archer Fellow
Internship: Excelencia in Education and George Washington University
Education
The University of Texas Medical Branch
M.D., expected spring 2021
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
M.P.H. Epidemiology; Spring 2017
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
B.S. Biology; May 2016
Summer 2016 Archer Fellow
Internship: Excelencia in Education and George Washington University
Education
The University of Texas Medical Branch
M.D., expected spring 2021
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
M.P.H. Epidemiology; Spring 2017
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
B.S. Biology; May 2016
“The friends and connections I made as an Archer Fellow are extremely valuable to me. Not only am I able to learn and seek advice from other fellows from my cohort, but I am able to seek their guidance when applying for programs or positions I may be interested in."
Q & A with Shangir
What do you value the most about your experience as an Archer Fellow?
The friends and connections I made as an Archer Fellow are extremely valuable to me. Not only am I able to learn and seek advice from other fellows from my cohort, but I am able to seek their guidance when applying for programs or positions I may be interested in. The wide network the Archer Center Graduate Program in Public Policy provides is extremely helpful.
What was the most important thing you learned as an Archer Fellow?
The most important lesson I learned is that you do not have to have a Ph.D. in political science or hold office to make a difference in Washington, D.C. As a public health specialist and current medical student, I know that I can always reach out to Archer Fellows in D.C. to share my opinion, or gather theirs. The same holds true for connections I made during my internship as well as from my time in general in D.C.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Alumnus?
I greatly value the ability to learn from other Archer Alumni. As a Alumni Chapter Co-Chair, I am able to attend meetings where I can see how inspiring Archer Alumni are in their day-to-day activities. Their success and perseverance inspires me to continue to do my best and to "pay it forward" to the next generation of Archer Fellows, as we often say.
What is your favorite memory from the program?
My favorite memory was spending time in the U.S. Library of Congress. The housing for the summer fellows was only a mile away, and I would often go to the library after work or spend the entire day there during the weekends. I fondly remember going through books older than the U.S. in the Rare Books archive. I still have my library researcher card by the way!
Do you have advice for prospective students?
My advice would be to apply no matter what. Even if you are not sure about which internship you would like to participate in, or if public policy is something that you may be interested in, the Graduate Program in Public Policy is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. We need more specialists involved with public policy, and as a future physician, I foresee myself doing my best to serve our nation, both medically and through public service.
What do you value the most about your experience as an Archer Fellow?
The friends and connections I made as an Archer Fellow are extremely valuable to me. Not only am I able to learn and seek advice from other fellows from my cohort, but I am able to seek their guidance when applying for programs or positions I may be interested in. The wide network the Archer Center Graduate Program in Public Policy provides is extremely helpful.
What was the most important thing you learned as an Archer Fellow?
The most important lesson I learned is that you do not have to have a Ph.D. in political science or hold office to make a difference in Washington, D.C. As a public health specialist and current medical student, I know that I can always reach out to Archer Fellows in D.C. to share my opinion, or gather theirs. The same holds true for connections I made during my internship as well as from my time in general in D.C.
What do you value the most about being an Archer Alumnus?
I greatly value the ability to learn from other Archer Alumni. As a Alumni Chapter Co-Chair, I am able to attend meetings where I can see how inspiring Archer Alumni are in their day-to-day activities. Their success and perseverance inspires me to continue to do my best and to "pay it forward" to the next generation of Archer Fellows, as we often say.
What is your favorite memory from the program?
My favorite memory was spending time in the U.S. Library of Congress. The housing for the summer fellows was only a mile away, and I would often go to the library after work or spend the entire day there during the weekends. I fondly remember going through books older than the U.S. in the Rare Books archive. I still have my library researcher card by the way!
Do you have advice for prospective students?
My advice would be to apply no matter what. Even if you are not sure about which internship you would like to participate in, or if public policy is something that you may be interested in, the Graduate Program in Public Policy is definitely a once in a lifetime experience. We need more specialists involved with public policy, and as a future physician, I foresee myself doing my best to serve our nation, both medically and through public service.
