Sitting down with recent graduate Joy Murphy Garretson
Q: Joy, you are finished with your MPA! Congratulations, how does it feel?
It feels great! This is a challenging program. There were many moments when—in the middle of juggling my career, family, and school—I felt overwhelmed with information and assignments. But my classmates were great moral support, and the professors were understanding and flexible. I feel very grateful to have had the encouragement I had during the program and am thrilled to be done.
Q: Tell us about your initial decision to pursue an MPA.
Prior to pursuing my MPA, I had over a decade in public sector experience. I’d seen a lot and knew that if I wanted to move into higher leadership positions or places of influence, that I needed to know more about government, organizational theory, management, and leadership. I wanted to more deeply understand this work and build my expertise. I was especially excited to meet others in my field who have the same passion for public service that I do. When I connected with the UNC MPA program, it felt like such a great fit, and I haven’t been disappointed.
Q: Can you tell us about a favorite class, specific project or experience, or meaningful professor in the program, and what you gained from it?
It’s so hard to narrow this experience down to one favorite class or project. However, I will say that Dr. Morse and Dr. Hemphill’s Public Leadership Class made a great impact on me—not just because of what I learned about transformational and servant leadership but also because of the emphasis they put on planning for future growth. I found the projects in that class to be highly valuable, and I’ve already started working on the goals I set in that class. Other favorites were Dr. Szypsyk and Ana Laura Diaz’s Law class and Dr. Afonso and James Robinson’s Budgeting class. ( I cited both the primary and supporting professors for each because they are ALL key to the experience!)
Q: What advice do you have for those considering going back to school or starting a career in public service?
I would advise them to avoid taking three classes in one semester! I would also say that, because of the workload, it’s really important to plan out the semester ahead of time and get ahead of readings if at all possible.
Q: What are you looking forward to next?
I am looking forward to hiking and traveling during my weekends! I’m so excited to have free Saturdays and Sundays again. I’m also excited to take the next steps in my career.
Q: And a fun question to end with. What is your new years goal or something you are looking forward to in the new year?
One of my goals is to start a club called Leading Ladies with some of my friends who are in positions of leadership in their professional or personal lives. The plan is to eat, craft, and make/hold each other accountable for our goals on a regular basis. The first meeting’s at the end of January!
