Palak Sharma

I grew up shaking my head every time I read Van Gogh- I dream my painting and I paint my dreams. As a poet who was working on SDGs, I was already in the middle of too many things in 2019- a published book, the quest to give Indian Civil Services exam & the foundational efforts of setting up my own non profit. Amidst this, when I chose to study social policy at LSE, I braced myself up for an adventure of a lifetime. Without a doubt, choosing LSE has been a life-changing experience for me. From the moment I entered my first classes, I was highly impressed by the due discussion on the Global South and the history that the institution carried.

My time at the department was filled with editing & writing for the LSE Social Policy Blog, working as the Project Lead for LSE Social Impact Consulting & simultaneously managing my non-profit in India. However challenging it was, a walk through St Paul's & Tower Bridge winded up an extremely tough day with pleasant London memories. The lectures & seminars made me so passionate and clear in my understanding of the policy space that I was at ease during my UK Civil Services Fast Stream Assessment & was able to clear it at first go. 

Moreover, my interaction with my supervisor was enlightening. His profile was an inspiration and his readiness to help me at my lowest points was very humble. His work on NGOs had a huge impact on my own non-profit's trajectory. I feel extremely proud to also have met the most intellectually stimulating group of classmates who pushed me up for my endeavors, then, and even now.

My current work is very diversely placed over the spectrum of social policy and is inspired by every bit of my student life at LSE. Green Governance Initiative, my non profit, works on connecting youth and lawmakers to work on SDGs. As a Managing Director of Arogya Rakshak Toilets (ART), I am spearheading a revolution in the sanitation industry, through standardising public toilets all over India. Lastly, by working with JK Laksmipat University's Centre for Policy Studies, I'm maintaining my research projects on inequalities by converting big ideas into actionable strategies and also teaching qualitative research methodologies to Master's students. Luckily, my training in concise and clear academic writing has helped me bag a contract for writing a book on Geography of India and the World with a leading publishing house in India.

My confidence on my capabilities to manage all these fronts after choosing to let go off the UK Civil Services Fast Stream offers, is a result of LSE Social Policy's grooming and guidance. To really understand the impact that my small initiatives can create, the coursework I took for the MSc International Social & Public Policy has been a foundational stone.