Alumni Changemakers: Grace Kwon
Committed to Improving Federal Government
To honor our 40 years, we're celebrating our most valuable resource - our alumni - through 40 profiles highlighting their leadership. Alumna Grace Kwon completed the Junior Summer Institute at Princeton University in 2016.
Grace Kwon embodies the values of commitment, service, and compassion. From the start of her educational and career pursuits, Grace was making a difference in the lives of others. She not only received her BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics while at Claremont McKenna College, but she also was actively involved in servant leadership.
During her time at Claremont, she co-directed a leadership conference to help prepare high school students for college, founded a mentorship initiative to inspire and prepare underserved local high school students for college, and served as a Reading Heroes Tutor at Little Lights Urban Ministry. She also began her ongoing commitment to close the opportunity gap as the Opportunity Nation Leader at Be the Change, Inc.
Not only was she actively engaged in her community, but she extended her learning and expanded her experience as a Legislative Intern for both the US House of Representatives working for the Committee on Ways and Means, and the County of Orange working for the County Board of Supervisors.
She was also a Research Intern at Public Policy Institute of California. She also received the J.Cleveland McKenna Student Researcher Award for her contribution as a Research Assistant and Project Manager at the Rose Institute of State and Local Government.
After participating in the Princeton Junior Summer Institute where she focused on microeconomics, statistics, domestic policy, and policy writing & analysis, she went on to receive her MPP with a focus on social and urban policy from Harvard Kennedy School.
"PPIA has been an influential part of my educational and professional growth. The JSI program I participated in back in 2016 helped me to envision pursuing graduate studies in public policy and a career in public service.
Along with other PPIA alums at GAO, I enjoy staying connected to PPIA through facilitating case studies with students in the JSI program and speaking with students through recruitment events and panels."
At Harvard Kennedy School, her extracurricular activities included serving as a Conference Co-chair for the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus, Program Director for the Student Public Service Collaborative, and Co-chair of the Christian Fellowship.
In her current role as an Analyst for the US Government Accountability Office, she has rotated through the Homeland Security and Justice; Education, Workforce, and Income Security; and Health Care Teams as part of a 2-year rotational Professional Development Program. She has gained valuable insight and experience through this process as the US Government Accountability Office gathers reliable fact-based information to Congress and other Federal Agencies to guide decision-making.
Grace has been in service to the public good since she began her educational journey and has positively impacted people in need through her dedication. She embodies servant leadership no matter where she finds herself.
Thank you Grace for allowing your natural leadership to shine! Your experience and talent is improving life for those who need it most and empowering all to access their potential. The world is brighter because of you.
Read more Changemaker profiles here!