Aicha Benmansour Rose

Why did you choose Wagner for graduate school?

I received the Fulbright Scholarship and had to choose four universities in the US to apply to—and I could only pick one in New York State. I knew that I wanted to learn more about international development, I knew I wanted a degree that was more practice than theory. And I knew I wanted to be in New York City-- in the heart of the action. Opting for Wagner was an evident choice for me!

How would you describe your experience as a Wagner student?

My experience at Wagner was so great I wish it lasted longer! The courses I had the chance to take were very hands-on; the faculty are real experts in their field; and the very rich academic and professional parallel activities are just amazing! One of my favorite aspects of the Wagner experience was the capstone project, which for me was such a unique opportunity to put into practice everything I had learned, and at the same time set a foot out in the job market to get a taste of what I could be doing upon graduation.

How did your Wagner experience prepare you professionally for what you are doing today?

A few of the classes I took at Wagner really changed my perspective on several aspects of development, be it economic or political. I was very interested in planning for emergencies for instance, and took a course on that as an elective. The course was designed so that you actually work on disasters that happened in real-life as projects. This led me to landing a professional opportunity upon graduation, in the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.