• 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?

> After one year in the corporate world after undergraduate school, I became fully conscious of my desire to work in public service. At the time, I applied to graduate programs in sociology, law and public policy and was accepted at some of each. I chose public policy over the others because I wanted a professional degree that would give me practical training to utilize directly in a public policy setting. That is exactly what I got, and I began putting the degree to work during my internship and immediately after graduation. I chose the University of Michigan in particular because I was interested in social welfare policy, and they have a very strong program in that area.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> I began as an intern in the Attorney General’s office in the summer between my first and second years, and continued in that internship until graduation. It was a valuable introduction to state government, since the AG’s office represents all departments.

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

> Politics and Public Policy. I had no political background at all before I came to graduate school and was, in fact, quite suspicious of the political process. This class helped me realize the important interdependency between politics and public policy and gave me a greater understanding of both, which I still contemplate everyday as I work on policy development at the Governor’s office.

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?

> Shortly after graduation, I was hired as the executive assistant to the Attorney General and remained there until she became Governor in January of 2003. Since then, I have worked in the public policy division of the Governor’s office as a research analyst.

In 5 years, I will probably be back in graduate school pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy. My long-term goal is to work at a policy think tank such as the Brookings Institution. I am very interested in high-level applied policy analysis such as this, as opposed to an academic career.

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

> Being able to have a direct impact on public policy in the Governor’s office is very exciting. For example, I have the opportunity to bring cutting edge social science research to bear on the actual problems Michigan is facing by translating those ideas into practical action steps. It is very satisfying to see a program that is empirically proven to be effective put into place for a large number of people at the state level.

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

> Absolutely! I would not be where I am today, directly impacting state-level public policy in the Governor’s office, without the training and contacts that I found through the Ford School. The training helps me bring a critical perspective to the many ideas that are developed in this office, while at the same time allowing me to bring ideas to the table that are based on sound empirical research. The contacts have helped mentor me through the process of working in a political environment – something I could not have gotten through books!

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

> It is a fantastic degree to have. If you want to specifically focus on public policy and working for government, non-profit and advocacy organizations, I think it is much more practical and specialized than a law or business degree because it focuses specifically on the challenges facing public organizations, which are quite different from other areas.