Meeting with a head of state isn't an appointment that pops up on Devon Halley's calendar often—well, okay, ever. Except on this day. Halley—a student in the Heinz College Master of Science in Public Policy and Management Program in Washington, D.C.—and 13 classmates recently met with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The discussion revolved around issues being discussed in the program—the transition from relief to development, the role of China in Africa, and externally driven development. "Once the awestruck feeling subsided, I was amazed at President Sirleaf's willingness to have an open and frank discussion," says Halley.
—Elizabeth May
