Alumni Profile
laura jensen, 2008 graduate
assistant to the county manager
durham county, north carolina
Laura Jensen’s professional journey so far has been one of focused transitions. As an undergraduate, she discovered her calling to public service in an urban politics course and was encouraged by her teacher to pursue an MPA degree. “When I researched the types of careers available to MPA graduates, I was particularly interested in what happens at the county level and the impact you can make on the community around you,” says Jensen.
She applied to the UNC-Chapel Hill MPA program. “I didn’t apply anywhere else,” she says. “It’s the best school, and I knew it was the program that would meet my needs, with its focus on local government. I decided that if I didn’t get in, I’d just reapply the next year.” She was accepted, and her first class in city and county management affirmed her choice.
Network of Professional Relationships
Jensen says that students were immediately and strategically connected with each other and with working professionals through projects, internships, and events. “From day one,” she says, “activities are organized that are designed to build a network of close professional relationships that end up carrying you through your career.”
For Jensen, as for other students, those connections have been an invaluable part of her educational and professional experience. In spring of her first year, she was a member of a student team that consulted with the Durham County manager’s office on an analysis of the organizational structure. That project was a bridge to a summer internship in the same office. As an intern, Jensen researched tax increment financing, a topic that she later analyzed in greater depth for her second year Capstone paper.
The coursework for MPA is varied and demanding, but Jensen cites one skill that has been most useful. “Every project we were assigned and every course I took emphasized critical thinking,” she says. “We learned to ask tough questions: What is the purpose of this project? How are we going to accomplish it? Is it the best use of our resources? Is it the right choice for our citizens?”
Student to Staffer: Smooth Transition
Jensen completed an internship with the Durham County Budget Office during her second year. She graduated from the MPA program on May 10, 2008. Two days later, she transitioned from student intern to professional staffer, and already she has facilitated the 2009 nonprofit funding process; researched warrant control issues; and worked on grants with local service providers, including a homeless shelter in downtown Durham.
Now, she has moved on to the county manager’s office, where she researches special projects or policies for the manager and county commissioners. “The great thing about this job is that I have an opportunity to be fully immersed in a topic, and my research will be used to improve or make changes to county services. At the county level, you are often able to provide services to people with the lowest incomes and greatest needs; these are issues I care about.”
The MPA program not only brought Laura Jensen home to North Carolina but has provided a clear path for her future. Jensen says, “It was a great experience and I would do it again in a heartbeat. I just hope I can give back to the program through my career.”