Shaping Philly's Future: Suzie Staherski ’23 MA Puts Policy into Action

Suzie Staherski ’23 MA thrives in the fast lane.

Not only does she love living in the hustling heart of Philadelphia, but she also plays a part in making it beat.

“What I enjoy most about my role is that it's very fast-moving,” Staherski said. “There is always something happening, a new project to get started on or a fire to put out.”

Staherski is a senior fiscal policy analyst for the City of Philadelphia’s budget office, where she develops the city’s five-year financial plan and acts as a liaison between administrative departments and City Council as part of the annual budget process.

“My office has given me the room to grow and take on more responsibility even though I am fairly early in my career,” she said.

In 2023, Staherski earned her master’s degree in Political Science from Villanova. She credits the program for preparing her for the demands of her new position.

“A lot of my classes prepared me to see politics play out daily,” Staherski said, “That’s useful when interacting with other offices, elected officials, or just engaging with policies on a wider scale.”

Throughout the program, Staherski cultivated strong relationships with faculty members, who guided her into her current role.

“My professors were able to see something in me,” Staherski said. “They invested in me, providing recommendations and connections. It really helped me get into the field that I’m in.”

She especially credits one faculty member she worked closely with as a research assistant.

“Dr. Ryan Weldzius really wanted me to come out of my experience with useful and practical skills for whatever came next for me,” Staherski said of Weldzius, an assistant professor of political science. “He was always available to help.”

Villanova provides an abundance of opportunities. Staherski’s advice to future students is simple: take advantage of all of it.

“As a student, there are so many resources at your fingertips,” Staherski said. “You just have to have the initiative to go after them and get involved.”

That initiative she took as a student still resonates in her current role—one that allows her to work on local policy and affect change in Philadelphia.

“I love that at the end of the year I get to walk around the city that I live in and love,” Staherski said. “I get to see the things I had a hand in shaping.”