David Hong

How would you describe your experience as an NYU Wagner student?

Overall, it was incredibly rewarding on many fronts. I met an inspiring cohort of young idealists ready to roll up their sleeves to fight the good fight. I discovered what I was really interested in (policy) and exactly what field (agriculture and food systems) I wanted to work in. I also met my future wife (and mother of my child) in an evaluation class!

Can you tell us a bit about your job responsibilities?

I direct and manage all DC-based advocacy efforts for Farm Journal Foundation. I mainly liaise and coordinate with Congress, the administration, and so on, to advance policy and advocacy objectives related to global food security, agricultural research, nutrition, and conservation agriculture.

How did your experiences at NYU Wagner prepare you for your career?

My time at Wagner gave me a solid background in policy analysis and understanding how public institutions "work" and make decisions in a resource-limited reality. Faculty members were very helpful, had practical backgrounds, and were committed to their students, making a real effort to support them, which is no small feat for a large program with hundreds of students. The capstone experience was also incredibly helpful for me personally, as I got to go to the field in rural Ghana and interview smallholder farmers directly— to this day, I still recall those experiences in my work.