Hello!

          My path to Virginia Tech was unexpected. I struggled academically from middle school on, and left undergraduate studies without a degree when I was twenty-two, not thinking I fit in educational spaces. I spent the next several years holding entry-level jobs that I found unfulfilling. Eventually, I became frustrated with the career options available because of my lack of education and the skills education provides. After unexpectedly losing a job at the age of twenty-seven, I was encouraged by a family member to finish school with a new major. Older and wiser, I finished my undergraduate studies secretly from my family and friends and performed well. My age, life experience, and drive enabled me to perform academically in a way that was out of reach to me before. My favorite professor, Dr. Chad Newswander, graduated from CPAP’s MPA and PhD programs at Virginia Tech and was particularly encouraging and impactful. He encouraged me to apply for graduate school, and while I applied to several smaller MPA programs,  Dr. Newswander encouraged me to apply to Virginia Tech, and I was eager to learn more. I knew I wanted to attend a program that produced an educator like Dr. Newswander, someone who made complex ideas accessible and academic pursuits seem within reach.

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          Beginning my MPA program in Blacksburg after my dramatic transformation, I discovered I still had much to learn personally and academically. Even with my academic transformation as an undergraduate, my academic history often made me uncomfortable in educational spaces, still incorrectly believing these spaces were not built for me. Fortunately, I found through my studies here that professors like Dr. Newswander are the standard at CPAP, and with time, I became increasingly confident speaking up and participating in spaces that had once felt uncomfortable. Throughout my participation in the MPA program, I have learned the skills required to reach my original goal of becoming more competent and qualified as a public servant so I can hold local government positions that can make a difference. Additionally, the people I have met and the skills I have learned through my classes at CPAP and my time as the vice president of PAVT have made me comfortable and confident in educational settings for the first time since I was young. Because of CPAP and Virginia Tech, I am leaving Blacksburg with the skills to make me competent in a career, more confidence in educational settings, and a new perspective on academia and the people that pursue it.