• 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?

> I knew that I didn’t want to pursue a MPA, but I wasn’t aware, at first, of the MPP. After reluctantly going to law school for a semester, I learned about the MPP at Georgetown. I took a leave of absence from law school, entered the MPP program the next semester at Georgetown, and never looked back. The MPP at Georgetown brought me into the intersection of policy, politics, and advocacy—exactly where I wanted to be.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> I worked full-time while in graduate school at the National Association of Counties, the Center for Responsive Politics, and FHP, Inc, a managed care company now called Pacific Care. I wanted to be a lobbyist focused on health care issues, and these opportunities all assisted me in meeting that goal.

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

> My public health policy class solidified my desire to work in health care policy. While I had a strong interest in education policy, the health care course helped me determine that education policy was not the direction I wanted to go. 

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?

> My experience includes health care organizations within the public, nonprofit, and private sectors. I started representing a company on federal government affairs and branched out to state level affairs, becoming the VP of State Government Affairs at the American Association of Health Plans. In addition to health care and insurance policy, my areas of responsibility have expanded to labor and employment issues at the federal, state, and local level.

I am still evaluating my next steps. Given my recent promotion, I expect to stay in government through the end of 2006 coinciding with the next gubernatorial election.

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

> I enjoy the opportunity to work directly with the governor, other senior elected policy makers and public officials. It is also exciting to work in diverse communities throughout California on major issues that affect the lives of millions of workers and businesses throughout the state.

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

> Absolutely. The MPP has provided me the tools that I use everyday in my job, as well as a basic understanding of how the real world operates. The MPP is not just about philosophy; it’s the foundation I needed to evaluate, develop, and advocate for sound public policy. I learned skills I could apply directly at work. It translated into understanding how to do my job. 

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

> Decide early whether policy analysis and/or advocacy are what you want to focus on in your career and let that guide your choice of study. Be flexible about your career choices, but have a good idea about what path provides you the most satisfaction.