Your Impact

Why I Give

Lin Yuan (MISM '11) shares the values she learned from her family and how they inspired her to give back to Heinz College.

Your support makes an impact on students

Heinz College students turn ideas into action through experiential learning.

Q & A with...Apoorva

Apoorva Shetty (MS-DA '24)

Why Heinz College?
I worked as a data analyst for a few years, and after that experience, I wanted to channel my work in a particular direction. Heinz is the correct intersection of public interest and data analytics. I feel passionately about the courses, and here I am! Heinz delivers.

Why should alumni consider a gift to Heinz College?
Alumni, more than anyone else, know what it’s like to be here and how much they’ve received from this institution. Alumni can relate to the people who are here now - they have the same kind of goals and dreams, and they have used the resources they gained from Heinz to get where they are. Maybe it’s time to reflect back, and help someone studying here who might be just like them.

What are your future plans?
After I graduate I want to work in public interest technologies, either in civic tech or government consulting.

Olivia's Story 

Olivia Perfetti (MSPPM '24) received support from the William W. and Ruth F. Cooper Fellowship to assist with her education. Before coming to Heinz, Olivia worked as an organizer with the Pennsylvania-based environmental advocacy nonprofit PennEnvironment. 

"This scholarship has been enormously helpful from a financial perspective. It also means a lot to me to receive support from institutions and private donors in my hometown of Pittsburgh who have a vested interest in supporting the next generation of public service leaders. I truly appreciate this investment and I'm committed to using the knowledge, skills, and experience I gain at Heinz to create positive social change. After graduating, I'm interested in working in local government or an environmental/health policy organization in Pittsburgh. I'm excited to pay this gift forward in our community!"

Delgerbayar's Story

Delgerbayar Lochin (MSISPM '24) worked in cybersecurity for several years in the industry, military, and government. During his years in the Mongolian Armed Forces, he was deployed to Afghanistan as part of the Mongolian contingent for NATO.

In addition to being a Fulbright Scholar, Delgerbayar receives support from the William W. and Ruth F. Cooper Fellowship. He reports that thanks to his professors at Heinz, he recently passed the Certified Information Systems Security Professional exam - the gold-standard certification in his field.

"After graduation, I would like to return to Mongolia as a full-time information security officer at the National CERT to contribute to my home country and be a part-time lecturer at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology to share my knowledge with many aspiring students in cybersecurity," says Delgerbayar.

Vincent's Story

Vincent Kabo (MSHCPM '21) came to Heinz with more than ten years of business management experience. During that time, he founded a community engagement program to donate food to a local women's shelter. The experience sparked Vincent's desire to serve the community and ultimately led to his enrolling at Heinz College. His goal was to pursue a career in public health policy.

With support from the Richard E. and M. Madeline Wilcox Fellowship, Vincent earned his master's degree and now works to create policies that make health care more affordable and accessible to disenfranchised communities. Vincent explains, "I want to contribute toward lasting solutions, through policy, that address the racial inequalities found in health care." He appreciates the scholarship that allowed him to reach his goal, adding, "I plan to pay forward this incredible and generous act by making contributions to Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College scholarship and endowment funds."

Emily's Story

Emily Hwang (MSPPM '22) explains, "The most meaningful part of CMU is the community’s efforts to strive for innovation and excellence. My professors, advisors, and classmates ask the important questions, expect the highest standards, and use critical lenses to achieve the most improvement." 

With assistance from the Stephen M. Lauble Community Fellowship, Emily was able to thrive at Heinz. She edited student papers for the Heinz journal and interned with the City of Pittsburgh's Department of Planning to address food insecurity.

Emily explains, "My long-term goals include working on family-centered policy on the local, county, and state level. As a first-generation immigrant whose family comes from East Asia, my family’s values are centered around caring for our family and elders. I was born in the United States, but have visited China and Taiwan, and I see a stark difference in the infrastructure to care for our loved ones."

Anne's Story

After graduating from the University of Virginia, Anne Jensen (MSPPM '22) served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in McKeesport, PA. Her experience fueled her interest in public policy, and she was able to attend Heinz College because of generous support from the W.W. Cooper Scholarship.

During her time at Heinz, Anne worked as a research assistant studing the intersection of race and public health in Pittsburgh's African-American community. She also collaborated with students from around the world to provide a template for reducing the consumption of single-use plastics in the bubble tea industry. Anne plans to work on urban and social policy in Washington, D.C., crafting equitable solutions on issues ranging from affordable housing to economic development.