Alumni Spotlight: Tracy Nájera

I work at the intersection of policy, philanthropy and community voice to advocate for systems that are actually designed around what children need to thrive. At UNICEF USA, that means bringing young people into the rooms where decisions about their futures are made and turning research and lived experience into policy that strengthens education, health and family stability. This work matters because children can’t advocate for themselves in the halls of power, and we work to create those pathways and spaces. Twenty years in, I still believe a society’s health can be measured by how seriously it takes the well-being of its youngest members.

The Glenn College gave me a strong analytical foundation and an introduction to public service that have anchored my career. My MPA training grounded me in fiscal and policy skills, but beyond the technical aspects, the Glenn College instilled a deep belief that public administration is fundamentally about people. Every budget line-item and policy decision has a human being, often a child, on the other end of it. That combination of rigor and purpose is what allows me to move between the worlds of philanthropy, government and advocacy, always asking the same question: Does this actually make life better for kids and families?

Moments that stand out clearly were during my time in state government. While leading the Education Section at Ohio’s Office of Budget and Management, I helped design the state’s Evidence-Based School Funding Model and modernize our need-based financial aid program to align with federal Pell Grants (now called Ohio College Opportunity Grant). This wasn’t glamorous work. It was spreadsheets, formulas, and long meetings and budget hearings. But I remember realizing that behind every funding formula was a real student deciding whether college was even possible, and behind every school funding line was a classroom that either had what it needed or didn’t. Driving resources to where they were most needed meant a child in Appalachia had the same shot at a well-resourced education as one in an affluent suburb. This work underscored the importance of policy work — it’s not abstract and truly is the quiet architecture of opportunity. 

I hope my work leaves behind systems that are more responsive to children and families long after I’ve moved on — whether that be funding formulas, coalitions and policy frameworks. More than specific programs, I hope I’ve helped shift who belongs in the room when decisions get made, especially young people themselves. Looking ahead, my work at UNICEF USA is focused on making child-centered governance a lasting standard of “good governance” rather than an aspiration, so that “what does this mean for children” becomes a matter of practice at every level of government. That’s part of why I now teach an undergraduate class at Ohio State. I want the next generation of public servants to learn early that good policy starts with proximity to the people it's meant to serve.