Q) What is your name?
A) Paxton Caroline Hayes
Q) How long have you been in the MPA Program and what is your concentration?
A) I am in my second semester of the MPA program with a concentration for not-for-profit management.
Q) What are your career goals, and how has the MPA program helped you to progress towards your goals?
A) After graduation, I would like to work in selection, training, and recruitment for a nonprofit organization. From there, I do not know exactly where I want to go. Before I entered the MPA program, I was unsure of what part of the nonprofit world I wanted to work. My courses and the professors in the MPA program have guided me towards an area of nonprofit work that I can see myself being successful by giving me exposure to different aspects of nonprofit work. As I progress into my second year, I am looking forward to furthering developing a wide range of skills that will provide a foundation of knowledge for my work in the nonprofit sector.
Q) What advice would you give to a prospective student about the App State MPA program?
A) The best piece of advice that I was given coming into this program is one I am now passing on: build relationships with your professors by reaching out when you have questions or need help. This may seem simple or self-explanatory from your undergraduate days, but it was a piece of advice that I needed to hear again for graduate school. All of the faculty in this department are intensely knowledgeable in their areas of study and are willing to provide extra support or answers when you need it. They are also willing to help you make connections outside of the classroom or university for internships, jobs, or other career aspirations.
Q) Do you have a favorite quote that is meaningful to you?
A) I cannot remember the exact quote, but there is a phrase that I think about a lot. It goes along the lines of “the things that hurt can either make us hard or kind, and it takes a lot more strength to melt pain into kindness.” Every day, I try to practice turning pain into kindness with others because I believe that those small moments can add up to create large-scale change. You never know when your one small act of kindness can help someone find their faith in humanity or start to trust others again.
