the thrill of it all

Intro

Hi, I’m so excited to be a first-year grad student at NKU and to serve as the graduate assistant and president of the Public Administration Student Society (Pass).

While I’m thrilled to have these opportunities come my way, there’s also anxiety that comes with them because I’m a first-generation student who has made it this far to grad school, and it’s been a difficult journey. My family has been as supportive as they can be, and I’m extremely grateful to have them supporting me through this. I’m also thankful to have the right people to ask questions to, like Margaret Swallow, Missy Gish, and Dr. Julie Olberding.

It's also my first time being the president of literally anything, so I’m nervous and excited about this grand opportunity to have ownership of promoting PASS and garnering interest in this group. I hope to host many volunteering events and social/happy hour events too, especially as the whole meaning of this group is to grow a community within and then to expand to a bigger community. Starting from something small like this group to going to something bigger is the grand goal. ཐིཋྀ⋆ ॱ⋅.˳˳.⋅˙ॱᐧ.˳˳.⋅ཐིཋྀ⋆¸¸.•*¨*•ཐིཋྀ¸¸.•*¨*

Learning About the MPA  ˚˖𐦍˖˚

The NKU MPA program drew my interest because of its ability to prepare me for a variety of leadership roles while maintaining a strong focus on the public sector. I'm especially drawn to the program’s emphasis on strengthening communities and ensuring that the needs of the people it serves remain a priority. I feel that my current job at this coffee shop has helped me realize this epiphany in my life as the current duties line up with this program weirdly.

Though I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, I believe my background has prepared me for the MPA program in ways that helps bring a unique perspective to public administration. Journalism taught me the importance of listening to people, understanding their experiences, communicating effectively, and bringing attention to issues that affect communities. Through all of the unique perspectives I've been told, I've always been drawn into how I can actually physically help and make a difference.

My experience as a journalist, I've been able to see the impact that organizations and public programs can have on people’s lives. For example, Habitat for Humanity, where they have a program like the “Construction Training Program,” where they show individuals how to use construction tools in preparation for a career in construction or even build a home for themselves one day. 

I also began to realize that I wanted to do more than tell the stories of people making a difference. I want to be directly involved in creating and leading the programs that make that difference. I believe the MPA program will allow me to build on the communication and storytelling skills I developed through journalism while gaining the leadership, management, and public service skills needed to turn those experiences into meaningful action.

The beautiful part of the MPA is the option to complete the many certificates offered at NKU that line up with you. For me, my goal is to complete the Nonprofit Management and Leadership program as that's what I would like to focus on after I graduate. The best part is that I don't have to spend extra time achieving the certification since the coursework overlaps with the MPA. 

While I would like to focus in the non-profit sector of this program, I would also like to do a bit of everything so I’m fluent in everything, and I believe that’s achievable if you truly put your all into these grad courses. Through this MPA program, I believe I’ll possess the skills to have a big part in becoming an impactful public servant, all while leading and strengthening communities. 

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