Program Assistant Introduction: Sena Lee '25!

Raised in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Sena Lee concentrates in social policy with a specialization in leadership, innovation, and design. While in Canada, she worked as Research Assistant for the Canadian Center for Diversity and Inclusion where she grew her empathy and skills to analyze systems of inequality in the professional and community spaces.  Sena’s dedication to public service brought her to SIPA, where she focuses on migrant workers and improving the legal accessibility for vulnerable communities. She is driven by a deep commitment to addressing systemic inequalities and ensuring that marginalized groups receive the support and resources they need to thrive. Passionate about nature, particularly trees, you’ll often find her hiking Vancouver’s scenic trails or running in New York’s Central Park. 

Have you taken classes at other Columbia Schools? 

Absolutely. One of the best aspects of the Urban and Social Policy concentration is that we only have one required course, which gives us plenty of flexibility to explore classes from other schools. In my first year at SIPA, I took a course at the School of Sustainability Management with Elizabeth Cline, who worked on the FABRIC Act—a law that helps protect the wages of garment workers in New York. Currently, I'm enrolled in a class at the Law School with Professor Maria Foscarinis, Esq., the founder of the National Homelessness Law Center. This course has given me the chance to engage in fieldwork with the Legal Aid Society and learn more about the rising challenges of homelessness, particularly with the influx of migrants in the city.  

What has been the best part of your SIPA experience? 

It has to be the people. Whether it has been getting to know the students, professors, or even the clients I worked with this summer, getting to know each individual story has shaped my worldview. Given the amount of people that I have been able to meet this year, I feel that I have learned more about the global policies because I am able to learn from the first hand lived experiences of my peers. 

Can you please talk about your internship experience? 

Over the summer, I worked as a Benefits Advocate for the Bronx Defenders, a non-profit public defense organization in the Bronx. I saw how they worked as a public defender nonprofit that is radically transforming how low-income people in the Bronx are represented in the justice system. I wanted to work with them because focusing only on the research of social inequities and systems that put people more vulnerable at SIPA made me start losing sight of the struggles people face. 

What kind of work do you hope to do when you graduate? 

Through my internship and experience at SIPA, I grew frustrated by the gaps in how laws and policies were implemented, as they often fell short of being fair or reasonable. Yet, I was deeply inspired by the stories of those impacted, which fueled my sense of purpose. After SIPA, I hope to work more directly with individuals who are impacted by the systemic failures of policies, particularly those affected by race, immigration status, and other factors. As I engage with people and learn their stories, my goal is to address the gaps in these systems that made them vulnerable, and to help inform future policies that reduce or eliminate these pressures on others.