• How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?
• Work or internship experience during graduate school
• What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?
• Were you a Presidential Management Intern?
• What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?
• What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?
• Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?
• What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?

> Because I was working full-time and planned on remaining in the Indianapolis area, I was limited to local universities. Fortunately, IUPUI offers a very respected MPA Program that was flexible enough to fit my needs.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> At the time I was pursuing my degree, I was employed as the Director of Programs & Services with the Marion Superior Court Probation Department. IUPUI recognized my work experience and awarded me credit. I also had the opportunity to work on a project with juvenile sex offenders. I was responsible for reviewing several files each week and recording factors that would be used to assist in the development of a risk assessment. 

What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?

> One of the most useful classes in the MPA program was the Public Human Resources Management. We discussed personnel laws in depth and did many case studies. Frequently, I have had to apply what I learned in that class to the workplace. In addition, the statistics classes provided me a solid basis for much of the analysis I utilize in my current position.

Were you a Presidential Management Intern?

> No.

What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?

> I have remained with the same agency since graduating. In 2000, I was promoted to Deputy Chief Probation Officer and subsequently assumed many additional responsibilities including budget and human resource duties. My hope is that I will be able to continue in an upper-level administrative position within the field of criminal justice.

What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?

> The most exciting aspect of my current job is that every day is different. A lot of my duties revolve around problem-solving which means either identifying problems before they arise or developing an appropriate response to existing problems. In addition, I enjoy developing and managing the budget and determining ways to implement innovative programs with very limited resources.

Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?

> Yes, I definitely feel that the MPA program better prepared me for my current position. Although I no longer have a direct service role in assisting probationers, the probation officers within my Department would not be able to do their jobs adequately without someone managing the administrative functions behind the scene. 

What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

>Take advantage of the opportunity to learn or improve upon skills that can be utilized in any area of the public sector.