Jared M.

Hirschfield
74 Kirkland Street #24, Cambridge, MA 02138 | jared@thehirschfields.com | 727.465.4120

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to apply for the Executive Assistant to the President position at the Milken
Center for Advancing the American Dream. My interdisciplinary background in public health,
political science, and public policy has equipped me with the skills needed to provide logistical
support on a wide range of high-impact, mission-driven projects.

My academic coursework has prepared me well for a position at an organization focused on

promoting equitable policy. In policy-related courses––such as U.S. Health & Welfare Policy and
Law, Policy, & Human Behavior––I developed a strong working knowledge of the American health
and social policy landscape. Additionally, my statistics and research methods coursework, including
Biostatistics (with R lab), equipped me with the technical skills to identify significant trends in
quantitative and qualitative data and to effectively synthesize such findings to inform policy design.

My independent research, centered on my interest in social determinants of health, has

perhaps most significantly informed my qualifications. Last summer, I undertook a project studying
rural health in Alabama’s Black Belt region and, for my senior thesis, I looked to Canada as a lens
through which to study the potential implications of single-payer health reform for geographic
health disparities in the United States. For these projects, I assembled and analyzed novel datasets,
traveled to international and out-of-state sites to conduct stakeholder interviews, and synthesized the
results of interview data into extensive research reports. These research projects equipped me with
the writing, organization, and communication skills needed to succeed in this role.

My professional experiences have also shaped my qualifications for this role. As a research
analyst at McKinsey & Company, I provided dedicated research support to state, national, and
international consulting teams on public and social sector (e.g., public health, housing, economic
development) projects. In this role, I assisted nonprofits and government entities seeking to better
understand policy trends, evaluate the impact of proposed and existing legislation, and
communicate their real-world impact. At the Public Health Advocacy Institute, I assisted in
consumer protection litigation against manufacturers of harmful products and was a member of the
PHAI team that filed the first class action lawsuit against JUUL Labs in Massachusetts for
marketing e-cigarettes to minors. And, as a dedicated volunteer at multiple Boston nonprofits,
including the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the Petey Greene Program, and Daily
Table, I affirmed my passion for studying and addressing the social determinants and access issues
fueling American health disparities.

I am inspired by the founding and growth of the Milken Center for Advancing the American
Dream; in many ways, the mission of the Center aligns precisely with my own––to enhance
Americans’ ability to exercise positive liberty, to feel empowered to live out their life-long
aspirations. It would be a privilege to contribute to such incredible work as a member of the team.
Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,
Jared M. Hirschfield