• 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?

> Chicago has many universities with great Public Administration / Public Policy schools. My choice was to stay in the area and take advantage of a school with excellent resources, a broad curriculum, and distinguished professors. Therefore, I visited each school, consulted with many professors, and sat in classrooms to get a good perspective as to where I would fit in and what I would gain by attending graduate school. 

Graduate school definitely prepared me for my public service career. Whether I complete a policy memo, justify a budget, or brief my director, I utilize the many skills I acquired from DePaul University. Under DePaul’s School of Public Services I had the opportunity to take course such as Strategic Planning, Public Policy, and Leadership Management. I have utilized many of these courses’ skills since the start of my new position with the Department of Navy.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> During graduate school I had a total of three professional positions. I worked as a Legislative Aide to a U.S. Representative for three years. As a Legislative Rep., responsibilities included: researching issues, serving constituent needs, serving as a liaison with many Federal agencies, and assisting the Congressman’s daily public affairs. This position ended in October 2000. I was then hired by the Chicago Housing Authority, which ended in July 2001. During my time with CHA, I served as a Grant Specialist and managed grant proposals, served as a CHA government liaison and worked closely with the CHA “Plan for Transformation.” My third position was at DePaul University where I became a graduate assistant. I worked for three professors and managed a variety of projects such as researching municipal budgets, creating surveys, working on public service motivation issues, editing professor’s books, and creating databases for massive survey distributions.

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

> The most useful course I took in graduate school was Public Policy. This course covers the basics of how to identify a problem, assess a situation and identify whether the problem has a solution or alternative. This course has been applied to many of my daily tasks at work.

Were you a Presidential Management Intern?

> I am currently a Department of Navy Presidential Management Intern. During Fall of 2002, I was assigned to the Office of the Chief Information Officer.

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

> Since graduating from graduate school in June 2002, I have been in the Navy serving as a Management Analyst. I have completed my first rotation with the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In five years, I see myself in a management position with Department of Defense (DoD). I intend to stay within DoD for a couple of years in order to gain management experience and exposure to DoD and the federal government.

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

> The most exciting aspect from my job at the Navy has been the leadership and management skills I have acquired over time. In addition, the ability to manage a project and see it come to fruition is a great experience, especially when working at the higher echelons of an organization.

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

> An MPA has definitely impacted my career. I might not be making a huge impact yet, but I hope to someday. I thank DePaul’s Graduate School of Public Services. The courses I took, the professors I met and the students I worked with gave me the opportunity to take my academic experiences into the “real world.” DePaul University offers unique programs, and the Masters of Public Service is one of them. The curriculum allows you to have a specific concentration such as Public Administration, Public Policy, Health, International Affairs, and Local Government, just to name a few. 

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

> I would suggest doing research when choosing a graduate school and make a decision based on location, curriculum, faculty, and financial aid. An undergraduate should remember that he or she should make a decision based on the coursework and the opportunities the school will provide that will enhance one’s professional and academic future.