WEBVTT

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Well, CUPPA is a community both in the

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metaphorical sense and in the real sense.

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What draws us all together is that we

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want to use our skill sets, we want to

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use the classroom, we want to use our

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research, as ways to solve pressing

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public problems.

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The program being in Chicago really enriches it,

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because you can point to things just down the street

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from you

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that are happening, and you don't have to

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look too far outside of just what you know,

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what you pass every day on the way to school.

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It's a form of social science

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that's very applied. We train our

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students in the whole policy process, but

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we also give them opportunities to

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engage in institutions, nonprofits

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government.

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CUPPA is, as I said, is one of the

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intellectual powerhouses that focus on

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the aspect of public good, and an

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important contributor to public good is

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well-designed safe, secure, pleasant

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urban spaces.

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I knew Chicago was the home of

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community organizing. UIC CUPPA focuses a

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lot on community development and

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community work, and I have found that to

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be true and I've enjoyed it so far.

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I think it's a great city

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in which you can get an excellent experience.

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What I tell students and prospective students

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is that one of the things that

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distinguishes our program is that our

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faculty do research. We contribute to

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knowledge in the field.

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My work involves building tools

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for communities to be able to see how their decisions

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about growth, about conservation,

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really could play out into the future.

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For me it was a no-brainer. I just came

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here and I fell in love with it.

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I felt like I belonged, I felt accepted.

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The other students make the experience so great.

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It's a really distinct community and something to be proud of.

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I got introduced to a professional environment that I don't

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think I would have had the exposure to otherwise.

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I think that CUPPA

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definitely went above and beyond in

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preparing me for a lot of the stuff

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that I'll be doing.

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Our students come with the

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aspiration to change the world.

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That's hard work, and that takes devotion.

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I've developed over these few years.

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Now I want to go international,

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and see how we can apply

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these things, using the skills that you

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learned in this institution and helping

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the poor and helping them empower

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themselves to improve their quality of life.

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[Music]