Teaching work that matters.
With 20 years in public affairs and four years of proven curriculum at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs, Mollie teaches the career skills that turn graduate students into the professionals they came to become.
What students walk away with
Career-ready looks different in public affairs. This course was built for exactly that.
✔ A framework for identifying leadership strengths and translating them into a professional narrative
✔ Competitive, field-ready materials: resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn — developed and refined over the course of the semester
✔ Strategic networking and interviewing skills grounded in the realities of mission-driven work
✔ The self-awareness and confidence to enter the job market knowing exactly what they bring to it
“This class was fantastic. This was effectively a personalized career program for Public Service job prospects. The modules were great because the homework assignments actually had us produce usable items like resumes and cover letters that could be used for real job searches. I’d highly recommend this course.”
UCLA Student
Built to scale. Ready to go.
Four years at UCLA. 299 students. 100% completion rate.
✔ Since 2022, 299 students have completed this course with a 100% completion rate and high evaluations across every category
✔ At $5,000 to $8,000 per offering, it costs less than a staff hire and reaches the whole cohort
✔ Designed to give every student a baseline job search strategy, so advisors and career centers can focus where they're needed most
✔ Fully designed, no materials needed
Meet the instructor.
My background is a mix of clinical social work, public policy, and advocacy. I spent 20 years in public service, including 11 years at Leadership for Educational Equity where I led a team that supported hundreds of coaching clients annually. All of that lives in the room with me when I teach.
I've taught Career Planning and Management at UCLA's Luskin School of Public Affairs for four years, reaching nearly 300 graduate students across Social Welfare, Public Policy, and Urban Planning programs. The course carries a 100% completion rate and consistently high evaluations. I know this sector, I know these pressures, and I built this course because graduate students deserve someone in the room who gets it.
I'm also the founder of Matter Collaborative, where I work with mid- and senior-level leaders across government, nonprofit, and public health sectors through coaching and consulting. And separately, I practice therapy through Matter Therapy PLLC. I hold a dual MSW/MPP from UCLA and a BA from Cornell University, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate and ICF PCC candidate.
I believe the next generation of public affairs leaders deserves someone in their corner who has actually done the work. That's what I show up to do.
Let's talk about your program.
Interested in bringing this course to your department? Fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch.
Glad you asked.
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First and second-year graduate students in MSW, MPP, MPA, MURP, and dual degree Public Affairs programs who came to their program with purpose and are ready to build a real plan for what comes next.
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It runs one semester, fully virtual and asynchronous, with optional live office hours built in. Graduate school is already a lot; this course is designed to fit into a full life, not add to the overwhelm.
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Over ten weeks, students work through career self-assessment, leadership and professional branding, resume and cover letter development, LinkedIn, networking, interviewing, and salary negotiation. Every single module produces something they can actually use.
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A polished resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile — plus a networking and interviewing strategy built specifically for mission-driven work. Not busy work. Real deliverables.
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Absolutely. The curriculum is fully designed and ready to go, and there's room to tailor it to your department's specific student population and needs.