Leo T. McCarthy Center for Public Service and the Common Good

Reflection on Tolman

As I prepare to teach “Urban School Reform,” an elective in the Masters of Arts in Urban Affairs program, I googled William E. Tolman High School in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, the school where I began my teaching career over thirty years ago as a student teacher. – David Donahue

7th Annual Western Addition Backpack Giveaway & Health Fair

Mo’MAGIC’s back-to-school celebration is held the first Saturday of every August, and features free backpacks, school supply kits, and books for students ranging from Pre-K to college age. There is also a health and wellness fair; families can count on vision, hearing, dental, and stress tests, and additional check-ups from medical professionals, and gather resources from other community organizations and city agencies. Healthy meals and snacks, games, a bouncy house, a reading corner, and other activities rounded out the day.

Op-ed: Media’s Sexual Bondage

Jena Habeil McCarthy Fellow in Sacramento ’16 McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento spend 12 weeks in full time internships at Sacramento legislative office and state agencies that contribute to the California policy-making process. Jena is interning at the California Assembly Arts and Entertainment Committee. The following op-ed is authored by Jena as part of her coursework…

Changing Transportation: My Path from USF to Sacramento

When I started at Master of Arts in Urban Affairs program at the University of San Francisco I just knew that I was interested in understanding the opportunities to mitigate climate change through urban transportation policies and planning. To be working for the state of California as a transportation planner at Caltrans just two years later as an alumna of the Urban Affairs program is still a little crazy to me; but also very exciting. – Shannon Simonds

We’re Better Together

Being far from home and integrating yourself into a new culture is challenging and intimidating to say the least. It takes a lot of time and a lot of trust in the process–there’s no one moment when you are completely integrated or completely comfortable. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn about yourself because you’re in an environment in which it is okay to ask a trillion questions and be confused. I’d like to say that my transition has been flawless and brag about how good I am at picking up local lingo, but the truth is that living in Cochabamba has turned me into a confused extranjera who always has to ask for guidance, which is so different from the self-sufficient, U.S. me. I’d also like to say that I’ve done it all on my own, but again the truth is that I’ve had lots of help from my peers, the site team, my host family, friends and kind strangers. -Genesis Regalado

What Narrative Will Emerge from the National Conventions?

During my time as Communications Director for the California Democratic Party, I was responsible for developing and implementing the message and narrative for a total of five annual state party conventions, as well as for the California delegation to the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2012. This month, both of the nation’s main political parties are preparing to hold their quadrennial national conventions in Cleveland (RNC) and Philadelphia (DNC). Here’s what I can tell you about working to set and advance a narrative during the largest political event of the season: it’s not easy. – Tenoch Flores

Life is Not Linear – Learning to Fight for Equity, Diversity, and Democracy in San Francisco

I decided late last summer to apply to the Master of Arts in Urban Affairs program at the University of San Francisco (USF) in a move to change my career path. As an undergraduate at the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC), I studied both chemistry and sociology. While I was passionate about both fields, upon graduating I ended up working with the Environmental, Health, and Safety department at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the chemical safety department. While the work I was doing was important, I was not doing the type and scope of work that I truly wanted to do – that is work that addresses issues surrounding social justice. – David Woo

Presidential Primary Election Night 2016

It’s been a memorable summer thus far as a McCarthy Fellow in Sacramento participant. I’ve witnessed the passing and failing of bills on the floor, heated debates among members fueled by whatever life experience had led them to that infamous seat on the floor representing millions of California constituents, yet everything came down to the simple push of a button. Would it be Aye or Nay? – Isabella Gonzalez Potter