From Classmates to Collaborators: Two UNC MPA Students Forge a Bond Through Their Love of Student Governance and Public Service

By Cara Robinson

“Invest in the people around you, and you’ll build something far greater than any individual accomplishment.” 

UNC MPA student Javier Limon follows these words as he embarks on his coming term as the elected President of the UNC Association of Student Government (ASG) and his ex-officio appointment for the coming year to the UNC Board of Governors.  Javier found his way into student government first as the President of Eastern Carolina University’s student government, where he received his undergraduate major in political science.  There, he developed a passion for service, leadership, and collaboration.

Enter Cameron Brown, also a current student in the UNC MPA program, who first met Limon at ECU, where he was also an undergraduate student pursuing his passion for government and student leadership.  Brown served on the executive board of the student government as the Vice President of Media Outreach while Limon served as President.

This was only the beginning of their joint service.  Since this time, they have alternated back and forth several times serving with one another.  While Limon served as student body president at ECU, he hired Brown to serve as his director of local and state affairs.  When Brown became president of ASG, he hired Limon to serve as Chief of Staff.  Now this year, after Javier was elected President, he selected Cam to serve as his Vice President of Budget and Finance. 

While the two admit that they are friends beyond just their interests in student government, they take their positions seriously and ensure that their respective assignments on each other’s staff have been earned and based on the merit and trust they have developed in each other over time. 

“We definitely know each other’s strengths—and we play on those as we navigate our professional relationship” said Limon.

The two also simultaneously applied for the MPA program at UNC, were admitted, and decided to enroll in the program independently of one another. They both credit the program for providing the space where they can each grow as a leader—especially in the areas of communication, objectivity, and budget management while doing the work that fulfills their passion. 

By pursuing the UNC MPA program and continuing to surround themselves around work and people who care about their communities, they have found themselves with a tangible skillset to practice as well as more experiences to practice these skills in. 

Limon states: “I don’t worry too much about what will happen in the next 5 years.  The MPA is allowing me to do the work I want to right now, and this degree is versatile and will go with me as I move forward in my career.”

Together, with their work in ASG and the UNC BOG, they have found themselves surrounded by other like-minded leaders who were put to the task of advocating for the more than 240,000 students they serve and helping to allocate resources across the 17 higher education institutions. 

Through this work, they are harnessing what they have learned in the UNC MPA program to meet these goals.  Whether it is strategic planning, reorganizing a department, or communicating out to a student body in a way they will understand, they have gained a tangible skillset to apply in their ASG and BOG work from UNC MPA. 

“I’ve learned the importance ofbeing a leader who has morals and principles and isn’t afraid to put their foot down while also trying to be a leader who is collaborative and trying to build partnerships and coalitions so that everyone feels heard,” Brown reflected.

Looking forward to the future, neither knows exactly what is in store for their careers.  Brown is drawn to local government and economic development work at the moment while Limon is currently interning with the federal government in the Minority Leaders Office in the United States House of Representatives.  No matter where they end up, they both have their eyes on leaning into the challenges that exist in government work. 

As Brown states: “Public service work truly matters, and if you understand what motivates you, nothing can keep you from wanting to do great work like this.’ 

Limon agrees.

“I can’t resign myself to complacency.  Doing nothing is not an option for me.  The best public servants understand that and understand that the challenges are the biggest opportunities for us to really make a difference.”

With the backing of the MPA program from UNC and their transferrable experiences across the BOG and ASG, the two’s path to joint service may come together again.