Melaku Lakew aims to address global conflict in Ethiopia.

“In some ways,” said Melaku Lakew, MPP Class of 2027, “my interest in policy formed in my childhood. My parents have always been active and civically minded, and they would often talk about their experience having to flee their home in Ethiopia because of the outbreak of the Ethiopian Civil War. I remember the idea of having to flee one’s home saddened and confused me, and I wanted to understand how neighbors and communities could turn on each other.”

Hearing his parents’ stories, Lakew said, inspired him to pursue his bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in public law from the University of Missouri, St Louis. After graduating in 2016, Lakew worked for a few years before exploring law as a pathway for him to make an impact.

“I enrolled in law school in 2019, but when we went remote due to COVID in 2020, it became incredibly challenging due to the isolation, and I ended up withdrawing.” Fortunately, he said, soon after leaving law school he landed a position at the law firm Growe Eisen Karlen Eilberts. Lakew joined the firm as a legal assistant, and was soon promoted to paralegal. “Everyone at the firm has been incredibly supportive—in fact, all of my letters of recommendation for Harris were from partners at the firm.”

Lakew’s decision to pursue a degree in public policy, he said, was the result of connecting his parents’ experience, his undergraduate academic experience, and his work with Growe Eisen Karlen Eilberts.

“I recognized empathy is the most human thing we can do—just hearing someone out. Even if we can’t do anything to help in that moment, people value being heard. However,” Lakew added, “being able to take action is also important.”

Lakew said he was drawn to the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy because “it seemed the best path to being able to transform ideas into action. The quantitative and data analytics focus is critical. When you’re advocating for something and want to get your point across most effectively, it’s important to have a whole set of analytical tools in your toolbox. Using data-driven insights to produce measurable results is not only crucial for effective policymaking but also provides a way to understand issues and people, and fill in the gaps to make a safer, more equitable world.”

The Harris community, Lakew added, also was a big draw. “After attending Admitted Students Day, I saw a like-minded, collaborative community that could really help me take my ideas to the next level.”

These ideas, Lakew said, are primarily focused on reducing global conflict. “Given my parents’ experience with conflict in Ethiopia, I’m particularly interested in Africa. Africa is mineral-rich, and minerals play a large role in global trade—and continuing interstate conflict. Ideally, I’d like to find ways to help resolve those challenges to better the lives of all Africans.”