Hi there! I’m Hannah Dalager, an MPA student at Syracuse. I’m excited to have the chance to share a bit about my experiences at Maxwell, both in and out of the classroom. But first, let me introduce myself. I am a Midwesterner at heart, though I’ve become nomadic in recent years. I grew up in Illinois mostly, and attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota where I received my BA in Sociology & Anthropology. Following graduation, I did a year-long volunteer program called Young Adults in Global Mission. I served in Boksburg, South Africa, teaching music classes and working at a preschool and orphanage. 
I then moved to Rochester, NY, where I worked for the non-profit Center for Governmental Research, an organization that provides consulting work for local governments and non-profits. It was here that I first heard about Maxwell, as several of my coworkers had Maxwell degrees. This was also where I first began to realize that I really liked the idea of connecting research, math, and problem-solving skills with social programs and issues. In 2011 I married my husband, Jacob, and in 2012 we took a giant leap and moved to Singapore. I worked at a medical school, researching end-of-life care preferences, and gained useful experience in conducting research and analysis. Living in Singapore and traveling in the region was exciting, but I realized that I eventually want to be a in position where I can use research findings to implement and evaluate programs and policies. After a frenzy of application, weeks of waiting, and a lot of thought, we decided to move to Syracuse. And as soon as I began to meet the staff, faculty and my classmates at Maxwell, I knew we’d made the right decision. It is such a privilege to get to be a student again, and I’m enjoying it (despite the hefty amount of reading).
We’ve also found lots of reasons to like Syracuse: Chief’s minor league baseball games (division champs!), camping in the Adirondacks, and shopping at the regional market, to name a few!
A few fun facts:
- I love traveling (who doesn’t?) and writing blogs about it.
- I have a deep appreciation for Excel spreadsheets and use them for everything. This was especially helpful when it came to Public Budgeting class!
- I have 4 adorable nephews and nieces, a few of whom maybe smarter than me already.
- I’ve run marathons on 3 continents.
- I make a mean homemade pizza.
I’m happy to field email questions about Maxwell & Syracuse – I’m no expert, but I’m learning! And check back later this week – I’m going to write about the social policy class I’m taking called ‘Financing the Poor.’