Memorial Day

One should spend a few days every year contemplating exactly what is bequeathed to us by previous generations. George Washington informed us at his First Inaugural Address that, "To be prepared for war is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined." He had fought the Revolutionary War for nearly a decade, then fought for the establishment of a democratic republic which could survive the divided country.
Public administration is one way of continuing the American tradition begun by a group of patriots more than 200 years ago. Though the Founders had a wide variety of opinions concerning the proper role of government (as shown by the truly rancorous debate in the media), there is no doubt that all accepted the need of a vital and efficient government in order to fulfill the will of the people. At its heart, this is the role of the public administrator.
Our friends and family in the armed services of this country deserve this day, veterans that are forgotten the rest of the year deserve this day, and those that are no longer with us deserve this day. They really deserve more from us; our eternal gratitude. Memorial Day is a taste of the respect all who have fought and served this country deserve.

The Making of an MPA Student

As a means of introducing myself, while eschewing the personal particulars that some choose to share (I am not famous and this is not a Xanga), I will make a few notes of how I thought to enroll in an MPA program. Over the years I have had an abiding interest in politics and the functioning of government. In my high school days this meant consuming coverage of governmental issues ranging from foreign affairs to education. Early on I was especially interested in international issues, considering a career in the CIA or State Department. I participated in that forum of precollegiate nerds known as Model UN. Representing Poland, I fought (in our mock debates) for increased developmental aid to the agricultural country in order to speed admission to the European Union (though this was still in its early years).
My interest in international affairs manifested when a graduate of my high school returned to visit. He gave a presentation on his summers in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. I later saw him at the local library. We talked about policy-making and he shared his interest in national issues. I remained convinced that international affairs was the path I was destined to take.
That slowly began to change my senior year, when I had the opportunity to work for a U.S. Senator one spring and summer. I saw the real impact state and national government has on people. From there, I interned with a series of organizations representing educators, school administrators, and advocates of school funding. The more I saw of state politics, the more is revised my opinion of state and national politics being slow-moving; perhaps stodgy.
College was interesting and I devoured political science and (to a lesser degree, economics and history) courses with glee, shifting from judicial politics to oil economics. My conversion completed as I wrote an undergraduate honors thesis on school finance reforms.
At first, I was sure that I would pursue a Ph.D. in political science and work in higher education or a think-tank. That changed over the years toward public service. Initially, this meant an MPA (Master's of Public Administration), though I decided upon a law degree. Admittedly, the increased salary potential played a role in my final decision.
After I graduated I made my way to a new town, for a new degree, and a different experience. Everything was right about the move, except for the degree. If I want to work in state government, exactly how is a law degree the right degree, I began to question. One semester later I settled that it wasn't.
Over winter break I started researching MPA's east of the Mississippi. I focused on five and prepared for the GRE. The best part about the GRE is that you know your score when you walk out of the room. Thankfully, I did well enough to offset the ugly grades I earned in a law program which held no interest to me. I was accepted at all five schools and offered a full scholarship to one. In the end, it was worth more to attend my hometown school (Ohio State University School of Public Policy & Management) than take the scholarship.
As of now I am pursuing internships with state agencies in Columbus. Optimally, I would find one for the summer which extended part time into the school year. We'll see, I suppose.