Though Lorrie Fair Allen is now earning her Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree online through MPA@UNC, she has been a part of the Carolina family for more than 20 years.
“I get to be a double Tar Heel!” said Allen, who also earned her bachelor’s degree at UNC. “I think anyone who comes here knows there is something pretty special about this place.”
During that time, Allen’s deep commitment to advancing the public good—both in the United States and around the world—has made her a formidable leader in academic, athletic, and professional arenas.
During her time as an undergraduate at UNC, Allen quickly distinguished herself as a gifted athlete. In addition to helping the UNC women’s soccer team win three NCAA championships, she was a member of the 1999 FIFA World Cup championship team and took home a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
At the same time, Allen nurtured her academic interests, particularly those related to public service and advocacy. The UNC women’s soccer program, she says, laid the groundwork for her development as a leader. She credits coaches Anson Dorrance and Bill Palladino with designing a program that positions students for continued success.
“One of their goals is to build leaders who are service-oriented,” Allen said in 2019. “Anson’s biggest hope is that that extends beyond the soccer field.”
Since earning her bachelor’s degree, Allen has parlayed her athletic and academic talents into professional opportunities that serve populations and diplomatic missions around the world.
Today, Allen oversees grant initiatives as program director for the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project (CTAOP). In her role, she identifies community-based health organizations—specifically, those that work with young people at risk of contracting HIV—and connects them with CTAOP funding, helps to build their organizational capacity, and connects them to other resources and networks in order to build a stronger civil society in the response to HIV/AIDS among youth.
Allen has even found a way to merge her professional endeavors with her longstanding love of soccer. As a sports envoy for the U.S. Department of State, she leads soccer clinics for young people around the world in order to support the U.S. diplomatic missions abroad. These clinics offer more than just athletic training—they engage players and their coaches in a dialogue about the importance of gender equity, diversity, respect, and leadership.
A true Tar Heel, Allen never stops developing her leadership abilities. Driven by her dedication to public service, she returned to her Carolina roots in 2016 and enrolled in MPA@UNC, the online MPA program from the UNC School of Government.
Allen, who expects to graduate by the end of this year, recently explained why the degree was such an important step for her.
“It’s definitely helping me be better in my current role, whether it’s program-related, policy, or advocacy. But beyond that, this MPA is valuable in that it really has helped prepare me for anything that comes my way in this constantly changing space in the public sector.”
Earl Park’s interest in public service began in his hometown of Fairfax, Virginia, with a high school internship with the county’s library system. There, he had an opportunity to delve into various administrative functions, which included producing a training video for future library volunteers, recording podcasts for book reviews, and assisting the library foundation. It was a formative experience in Park’s journey toward a public service career.
“[The] internship gave me a glimpse into public service at a young age,” Park said. “Working with colleagues who are dedicated in their mission to serve the public inspired me to do my best every day.”
He obtained a bachelor’s degree in government from the University of Virginia, where he was exposed to more aspects of public service. During his senior year, Park worked at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, producing publications about the organization’s programs and events and learning about nonprofit management. Although he considered graduate school immediately after completing his undergraduate degree, a job opportunity arose with the federal government.
Currently, he serves as the policy team supervisor for a division of the federal government. He oversees a team of nine employees responsible for the coordination, review, approval, publication, and promulgation of all internal policy for the agency—including human resources. From administrative matters like employee leave and benefits to operational functions such as interagency coordination, Park and his team expertly review, analyze, and recommend improvements to policies that impact tens of thousands of employees every day.
After seeing his father complete a master’s degree, Park began to consider earning one himself. He explored a few degree programs and focused on a public administration degree as the best fit with his federal service. As he researched graduate schools, UNC’s MPA program consistently came up as a top-ranked program that provided flexibility.
Park was initially hesitant about completing a program online, but after visiting a class, he knew the online UNC MPA program was the right choice. He said he was impressed with the quality of the education he observed in class discussions.
“Immediately, I took interest in the course and the discussion, which had diverse viewpoints. The discussion was enriched with examples from varied work experiences that were applicable to what I did,” he said. “I gathered from my visit that my future classmates were not going to be just from one area or working one occupation. Instead, I worked with classmates from all across the country and with various backgrounds—which was important to me.”
“My future classmates were not going to be just from one area or working one occupation. Instead, I worked with classmates from all across the country and with various backgrounds—which was important to me.”
Since enrolling in the program, Park has gained the knowledge and skill sets needed to help him grow as a leader in his field.
“Participating in the MPA program has been a wonderful complement to my career. Throughout my time in the program, there were moments where the coursework directly correlated with what I was doing at work,” he said. “When I was participating in a conference at work, one of the segments discussed a topic that I had just discussed in class the prior week. The tie-in between the program and the supervisor development program at work was a great benefit for my professional development.”