“First, I feel really grateful for how it’s oriented me to the working world and public life. My college education, although mind expanding and challenging, left me with a level of jadedness and cynicism. The macro, theoretical perspective gave me insight, but by focusing on such a system wide perspective, the problems became so big and overwhelming that they left little room for feeling or personal empowerment or optimism. What Coro has given is two fold: first, it has shown me lever point in society, which granted, may not be able to singularly produce the systemic change that I believe to be necessary, but still has enormous implications for how many people live with that system. Looking at concrete institutions and organization and seeing how they affect change has been really empowering, and gives form to problems that can be overwhelming in the abstract. Second, Coro has taught me that pretty much anything can be interesting if thought about in the right way. With the right approach, any problem, institution, or object can be seen as it relates to a larger system, and considered in how it relates to the incredibly complex web of interests, history, and challenges that sustain and produce it. The perspective you bring means everything, and Coro has instilled in us tools and values that let us re-frame the world in a way that is both hopeful and compelling.”
– Brady Hirsch, Fellows Program in Public Affairs, 2017
