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Julia Vasta

Master of Public Policy

Graduated in 2021

Julia Vasta is a Senior Policy Analyst at the Boston Municipal Research Bureau where she analyzes a wide variety of city policies and finances. She joined the Research Bureau after completing a Master of Public Policy at Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs in 2021. There she worked on a number of research projects covering topics such as housing in Greater Boston and family and caregiving dynamics during COVID-19. Before graduate school, Julia worked as an immigration paralegal for three years in Boston and New Jersey. She grew up in Massachusetts and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Spanish from Cornell University.

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Julia’s Path

Julia was drawn to Northeastern's MPP program because of the school's connectedness with Boston, impressive faculty, and experiential learning opportunities which could help her launch a career of service.

After studying Sociology and Spanish at Cornell University, her passion grew for understanding immigration policies were written and analyzed while working as an immigration paralegal.

Julia found two courses particularly helpful during a fellowship in Boston Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services: Geographic Information Systems for Urban and Regional Policy and Strategizing Public Policy

a mural by Daniel Anguilu provides a colorful background for magnolia blossoms outside of the Curry Student Center

"I feel confident that having an advanced degree with so much experiential learning built in will open the door for a career in public service."

Julia worked on a research project with Professor Alicia Modestino on the annual Greater Boston Housing Report Card released by The Boston Foundation.

With D’Amore-McKim School of Business Professor Jamie Ladge, she also assisted with research related to COVID-19 and its effects on parents who were working from home during the pandemic.

Julia received the Fishman Family Fellowship award which allowed her to accept an unpaid fellowship with the Mayor’s Office of Recovery Services.

She was a student leader in the Northeastern community, serving on the executive board of the Northeastern Association for Public Policy Students from 2019 to 2020.

After graduating in May of 2021, Julia hopes to continue her work in public service in the fields of recovery and homeless services or immigration.

I’ve always known that if I’m going to spend so much of my life working, I want to commit that time to helping others, especially those who are working against all odds to live happy, fulfilling lives.

Areas of Expertise: Boston city government, first job at Boston Municipal Research Bureau, summer Fishman Fellowship during grad school with City of Boston

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More Student Paths

Charles T. Wallace-Thomas IV

  • Charles chose to attend Northeastern because he was intrigued by the signature co-op program and wanted a curriculum that combined real-world experience without compromising thorough academic rigor.
  • Initially an engineering student, Charles switched to a combined major in Economics and Mathematics to build upon his interest in economic and social justice work. He also has a minor in psychology.
  • In his first year, Charles took Sustainable Renewable Energy Development in the Global South with Professor Shalanda Baker, which taught him to question systems as they exist, no matter how established.
  • As part of the Ujima Global Leaders Program through the John D. O’Bryant African American Institute, Charles did community service, working on the Timebank team which helped him give back to Boston.
  • For his first co-op, Charles split his time between the Center for Economic Democracy and the Boston Ujima Project, where he analyzed studies on community needs, like infrastructure and childcare.
  • As Campaign Coordinator and Director of Northeastern’s Students Advancing Intersectional Dreams, Charles had spoken to people like Patrisse Cullors, Richie Reseda, Michelle Alexander, and Angela Davis.
  • Over the summer of 2020, Charles was one of the co-creators of the #BlackAtNU campaign where he advocated for racial literacy courses and for a restorative and transformative justice center on campus...

Casey Greenleaf

  • Casey took “Global Markets and Local Cultures'' with the late Professor Jeffrey Juris. After traveling, she saw how the coursework mirrored reality, and knew her education was preparing her for the world.
  • Casey went on a DOC to Argentina and Uruguay. She wanted to become fluent in Spanish, and she did become highly proficient while living in Buenos Aires and visiting the glaciers of the Patagonia region.
  • Casey did her first co-op at the Museum of Fine Arts as a Community Arts program assistant. She gained valuable hands-on experience assisting in arts classes for the local communities.
  • Casey joined the Sociology & Anthropology Student Association during her third year. It allowed her to get to know her fellow students and mirrored the small school experience she loved.
  • Casey studied abroad in Nepal for her capstone thesis. She lived alone for a month while she researched and wrote about the lived experience of climate change in the lower Himalayas.
  • Casey joined the Sunrise Movement, an environmental group that organizes protests urging political action for climate justice issues. With them, she truly felt like a part of the local Boston community.
  • Casey worked for the Environmental Data and Governance Initiative, founded by Professor Sarah Wylie. She produced promotional videos, developed a virtual research event, wrote event programming, and more. ..

Sunita Pfitzner

  • Northeastern has provided Sunita with interdisciplinary opportunities to utilize her education in the Greater Boston community, on co-op, and abroad.
  • Sunita spent Summer 2019 on a Dialogue of Civilizations in Jordan and Egypt. It helped her realize her interest in Middle East politics and the Arabic language.
  • Her favorite class, Revolution, Civil War, and Insurrection taught by Professor Risa Kitagawa invited students to question the motives behind acts of violence against governments.
  • Her first co-op was at the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney, Australia where she analyzed data on the corruption of police forces in Mexico.
  • Her second co-op at Enel X provided insight into battery storage, solar and wind farms, demand response, and the economic incentives that drive the energy market.
  • In spring 2019, Sunita joined the Student Alliance for Prison Reform as well as Partakers, a partner of the club, where she mentored a prisoner at MCI Concord.
  • Sunita is a member of the International Relations Council and has traveled abroad with the club to compete in Model Arab League, Model NATO, and Model UN conferences...
Northeastern student Yasser Aponte works at The Food Project to help deliver fresh food to local communities in Dorchester, Massachusetts.

Yasser Aponte

  • Yasser was in the Foundation Year program at Northeastern. The program was a rigorous deep dive into core subject classes that helped Yasser bridge the gap between the high school and college experiences.
  • Initially indecisive, Yasser’s interest in traveling and experience exploring different religious texts in high school led him to a double major in international affairs and religious studies.
  • Yasser took Issues in Cities and Suburbs with Professor Erin Graves in Fall 2018. As someone deeply invested in urban life, he found the course was an enlightening look at the problems endemic to cities.
  • Yasser’s first co-op was at the Boston Beer Company as a Program Operations and Event Assistant. He worked on inventory, public relations, directed brewery events, and maintained workspace organization.
  • Yasser went on a Dialogue of Civilizations to Europe in Summer 2019 and took Engineering Principles in Nature with Professor Sandra Shefelbine.
  • Yasser implemented and maintained community gardens all over Boston on deserted plots of land during his time as the Northeastern Campus Director for the campus’ United Nations Millennium Fellowship.
  • Yasser began working at the Food Project and at a farm in Dorchester, he maintained the farm, harvested crops, distributed produce through donations and food markets, and worked on overall logistics...