Students

MPA Student Profile

True Carolina Blue: Justin Amos

by Jean Coble, MPA External Relations Coordinator

Justin Amos had a full schedule working as a budget analyst intern for the Orange County Budget Office, and he was only a few weeks away from graduation, but he couldn’t resist an invitation for lunch at Allen & Son BBQ. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to spend time with him to find out more about his background and his experience in the MPA Program.

Justin is from Summerfield, North Carolina, in northwest Guilford County. He credits his family with shaping who he is today. His mother is a nurse manager at Wesley Long Community Hospital and his dad taught high school US history. "My parents are great examples of giving back," he said. "We were active as a family in our community and church." Justin became an Eagle Scout in high school. For his Leadership Service Project, he landscaped and built a meditation courtyard that is still used at his church.

Justin received his undergraduate degree in political science from UNC-Chapel Hill with a minor in history. Before entering the MPA Program, he worked as an assistant property manager in a commercial development and property management firm and considered going to law school. An Internet search for "public service" led him to our MPA Program, and a chance meeting and conversation with Willow Jacobson helped him decide to apply.

An active runner and team sports junkie, Justin coached several of the MPA student intramural sports teams. "I’ve enjoyed the social aspects of the MPA Program," he said. "It has been great to interact with people from all over the country, to play sports, go to picnics, and out to dinner as a group. We are all different; having the opportunity to listen to each other and explore those differences in this environment has been a great experience."

Justin says that he always worked two or three jobs to support himself in school. A recipient of the Nanette V. Mengel Scholarship, he says, "I could not have survived without the help of the Mengel family, alumni, and friends, who provided tuition scholarships."

After graduation, Justin began work in the city manager’s office in Charlotte as an International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Fellow. "I have learned from the experiences of the professors who teach in a proactive, hands-on approach and have been able to apply skills I already had and develop new skills," he says. "The MPA Program offers the best opportunity to learn theory of management and at the same time engage in real world issues."

This profile was first published in the Summer 2008 issue of Impact newsletter.