From UCLA to D.C.: A Journey of Learning, Networking, and Career Exploration in International Development

By: Alejandra Garcia Gutierrez, Christopher Hung-Do, Elizabeth Plasencia

Visiting Washington D.C. as a diverse learning group with UCLA’s urban planning, public policy, and public health professionals brought a wealth of diverse conversations inside the doors of Open Gov Hub. We learned from international development organizations such as the Hilton Foundation, the World Bank, BRAC, the State Department, USAID, Partnership for Transparency, Fair Trials, ENGIE, and CORE RESILIENCE. This particular trip allowed us to network with MPP and MURP alumni within our areas of interest to gain social capital and grow our international development acumen. Regarding philanthropic work, we learned funding emulates a sustainable trajectory toward achieving goals. Additionally, we discovered fieldwork is heart work infused with accountability, flexibility, and creativity. Program design and implementation are rooted in community needs. NGOs evaluation process and advocacy bridge government services for marginalized communities 

During our discussion with USAID, we learned about the values centered on the organization such as defense, diplomacy, and development. We also learned about BRAC, an organization focused on “Powering People to Rise Above Poverty” based in Bangladesh through scalability and economic empowerment. Accountability Lab is centering active listening and community needs in their novel approach to anti-corruption efforts. We were exposed to a myriad of perspectives and experiences that highlighted the variety of work happening in global development. 

The key takeaways of this trip include our ability to recognize that careers in international development are anything but linear. It was interesting to see where alumni worked prior to working abroad in the role they hold now. Not only is Washington, D.C. a federal hub to work on domestic policy but it also encompasses global affairs. An industry of public policy can be implicated in all levels of government, in all states, and across seas. The knowledge and skills we gained at UCLA, from capstones with global partners to transportation finance classes, will become useful in opening up doors in this industry and preparing us for professional policy and planning positions. As second year students who will earn a certificate in a global concentration we got to hear about the possibilities in D.C. that can take us to new heights abroad. After hearing from Chris Odell, a researcher at the University of Washington, he left us with some final pieces of advice that are helpful to hear as we transition from grad school to the real world. He focused on the importance of learning transferable skills, paying attention to who one works with and being okay with having various seasons in a career, as each job is a stepping stone to our desired career.