Nugget Settles, a Master of Public Service candidate at the Clinton School of Public Service, completed her International Public Service Project (IPSP) in El Paso, Texas, where she developed data infrastructure and student workshops for the Lydia Patterson Institute.
The project marked a new organizational partnership for the Clinton School. Established in 1913, the Lydia Patterson Institute is a Methodist Christian college-preparatory high school. Many of the attending students are the first in their families to pursue higher education.
Settles, a native of North Little Rock, Arkansas, focused on strengthening the institute’s alumni data tracking systems. The initiative involved assessing current data collection, storage, and utilization practices to improve long-term program evaluation, engagement, and institutional effectiveness. Through a localized needs assessment with staff and stakeholders, Settles identified strategic priorities to help the school accurately measure its educational outcomes and maintain long-term relationships with its graduates.
In addition to data system management, Settles utilized her own skills to help the institute’s students and staff further. As a photographer, Settles photographed several of the institute’s end-of-the-year events, including graduation and a 50th anniversary celebration for the Class of 1976.
Drawing on her experience as a professional business owner, Settles also conducted a social entrepreneurship and community impact workshop for the students. The curriculum demonstrated how business development can be leveraged to generate positive community outcomes.
“Seeing as I own my own business, I thought it would be helpful for students to see how I developed it and how it impacts the community,” she said. “I think the students enjoyed the experience.”
The final deliverables for the project include a multi-part executive summary featuring best-practice research for automated alumni data management, an implementation strategy for the tracking system, and curriculum insights from the social entrepreneurship workshop, alongside compiled event photography.
“I learned how to navigate the process of undergoing a true needs assessment for an institution,” Settles reflected, noting the value of observing an organization actively working to refine its internal systems. “I learned how to appreciate every step of the process as far as evaluating a program and recognizing the utility of this work in a public service aspect.”