How has your MPA helped you?
My MPA has helped me in many different ways professionally and as a global citizen. I have learned the skills and tools to be an effective leader and employee in the public sector. I enjoyed learning not only from my professors but also from my classmates as everyone brings their own perspectives, experiences, strengths, and challenges to the classroom. I am proud to say that I have applied and practiced what I learned in my MPA to my current role as an academic advisor and public servant at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and will continue to do so throughout my life and in settings not limited to my career.
What is your advice for prospective or new students?
My advice to prospective or new students is to be open-minded, listen, study hard, collaborate, and enjoy every moment of it. Your MPA program will fly by and you will make long-lasting friendships and connections in the program. Your professors and classmates are there to support you and guide you into a successful public servant and leader. And after you graduate with your MPA, the proud alumni will welcome you to the PUBA alumni ‘ohana.