PLA Graduate Student Spotlight: Leea Thornton

The PLA program is happy to count Leea Thornton as one of our new graduate students. In a recent, socially distant interview, Leea told us she works as a paralegal and public servant in the federal government, where she researches and reviews housing policies, specifically those which provide grant funding for various housing programs. Leea is clearly passionate about her work and shared her view that providing housing is one of the most important things one can do to make the world a better place because housing is the foundation for human flourishing. As she explained, if children are exposed to uninhabitable living conditions, they are susceptible to a wide range of health conditions, all of which act as barriers to their education. 

As a graduate student, Leea is interested in honing her skills in critical thinking. Her academic interests include history, government, and a variety of issues related to criminology and criminal justice. She also enjoys music, design, and art history. Leea added that she is currently enjoying her class on Public Image Management and Policy Solutions and believes the course is helping her to become a better leader. More than just interesting coursework, Leea finds the class to be loaded with practical information that she can apply on a daily basis. She also feels that the online format of the PLA program has proven to be incredibly convenient. She has more control over her schedule, and she is able to balance the demands of her job with those of her class. 

When asked about her plans for the future, Leea told us that once she has completed her degree in the PLA program, she plans to pursue a Ph.D in the field of criminology and criminal justice.  ​