• 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?

> Although I reviewed several of the MPA programs offered at other universities in my area, deciding to return to my Alma Mater was an easy choice because the courses offered in their curriculum were exactly what I was looking for. As I excelled in my private industry career, I seriously contemplated obtaining my MBA. However, I worked primarily on government contracts in my last two private sector positions where I was the Director of Information Technology for Trans-Management and the Manager of Information Technology for Future Enterprises. Since I was responsible for running I/T operations in government agencies, it was necessary for me to become knowledgeable of many federal policies and procedures, such as the Freedom of Information Act and how requests are to be handled, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, as well as other ADA policies and how those requests should be honored. There were also several privacy policies and endorsement disclaimers, as they relate to the administration of government websites. In working so closely with federal agencies, I decided that completing my MPA would be more beneficial to my career than an MBA. Undoubtedly, acquiring my MPA was essential to my meeting the education criteria for my position, as well as solidifying my qualifications for a higher grade. 

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> During my Masters program, I was a graduate assistant to my Pastoral Associate who is also a Professor at the University of the District of Columbia. Through her assignments, I gained invaluable insight into the administration and operation of a faith-based nonprofit organization. I was grateful to learn what it takes to establish a successful charitable organization and that experience reinforced my decision to start a career in public service.

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

> The most important course for me was Public Policy Development & Implementation because it is extremely important to be able to discern whether agency policies are helpful or problematic. However, the most useful course has proven to be Management of Government Organizations because that course helped me transition from the management of private organizations over to the management of government organizations.

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?

> Since graduating, I have been taking on additional assignments and working with other teams on the digital preservation initiative Congress mandated at the Library of Congress. In five years, I hope to have utilized my technical expertise to enhance the business process for managing digital projects and I would like to be more instrumental in the Library’s acquiring significant born digital collections by having more interaction with external stakeholders.

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

> As a Digital Media Projects Coordinator in the Office of Strategic Initiatives at the Library of Congress, I am fortunate to work with the Integration Management Team. We are creating the Digital Life Cycle Framework, which is an integral part of the business process methodology that will be used to manage digital media projects. What is most interesting and exciting about my job is that the Integration Management Team’s mission and goals are relatively new to the Library and the Office of Strategic Initiatives, so I work amongst the pioneers of this new initiative for the collection and long-term preservation of the digital content that illustrates America’s History.

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

> I certainly feel that my MPA has helped me make a difference because I have drawn upon my MPA coursework in assessing various project management tools, in writing implementation plans and in suggesting procedures for the digital life cycle business process at the Library. 

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

> An advanced degree will definitely add to your qualifications when you aspire to obtain a senior level position in any field. The Master of Public Administration degree is a highly regarded and well-rounded degree that can be used in many federal, state and local government agency positions. I would advise undergraduates who are contemplating an MPA degree to research at least three MPA programs and choose the one where the curriculum provides sufficient coursework in their particular area of interest. This way they will be more motivated to take advantage of their newly acquired knowledge by using MPA methods on their jobs and they can eventually become more proficient public administrators.