Wanja Thuku

Wanja Thuku 

Degree: 2019, MPA

Job Title: Engagement Manager, Benefits Data Trust

​Wanja Thuku (MPA, ’19) is an Engagement Manager for Benefits Data Trust (BDT). BDT helps people gain access to benefits, such as SNAP and Medicaid, in an easier way. Wanja’s position specifically focuses on expanding the reach of the organization beyond the six states that BDT currently serves: Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, Colorado, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Wanja networks with potential partners looking for opportunities to collaborate.

As an MPA candidate, Wanja worked as a Public Administration Fellow with the Institute for Public Administration’s Conflict Resolution Program (CRP). Working in CRP was a very meaningful experience where Wanja developed practical skills in conflict resolution, project management, and meeting facilitation. Wanja was able to start and build a project from the ground up and learn how to balance multiple assignments. The staff of CRP encouraged Wanja to be curious, and that curiosity helped her discover her role at BDT.

Wanja also served as a 2019 Legislative Fellow with the House Majority Caucus. The program provided research experience and helped her understand the process and implications of state policy. After graduation, Wanja sharpened her communications skills while working on senate campaigns in Pennsylvania and Kansas and the 2020 presidential election. She also worked with a community based organization to gain an understanding of the nonprofit landscape. 

Wanja is eager to help BDT expand to help more people despite the challenges that come her way. She enjoys working for an organization that humanizes the process of applying for benefits and does not strip people of their dignity.

Wanja lives in Philadelphia and is an aspiring plant parent. She hopes she can effectively learn how to take care of and nurture plants.

This biography was compiled from an interview conducted by Ruth DeCosse (MPA '22).