Introduce Yourself
My name is Sofia Chunga-Pizarro. I am a first year masters of Public Administration student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service. I did my undergraduate degree at Texas A&M, and I studied and worked in the Department of Sociology as a undergraduate research assistant.
Why did you choose to come to the Bush School?
What I love about the Bush School is the faculty. I really enjoy that they have a lot of experience in their field, and that’s something that they share in the classroom and to students as well as through opportunities like jobs. When you sit down and talk to them, they tell you about certain areas that you should look into or where you should study. So that faculty and student interaction is super valuable to me.
What did you appreciate most about your first semester?
The Bush School is a place where you have a lot of options. But you also have a lot of guidance. So career services, faculty, staff are not only some of the kindest people you’ll ever meet, but some of the most helpful people you will ever meet.
Tell me about an experience that inspired you to choose public service
As someone who is constantly affected by immigration policy changes the last few years, such as DACA and Administrative decisions on immigration, my mindset came to people like me need to be in the room where decisions are being made. When a policy decision is affecting you directly, it really it inspires you to be in that room because you understand what that policy does to yourself, to your family and to your community. That’s why I wanted to go into public policy, and in this field in general. What I would say to my younger self is to reach out to alumni and people have gone through the program so I would get a better understanding. I was a little lost at the beginning and I found my way. But reaching out to alumni and current students from the school is something that I really wish I had done.
