Spring Break Update
This last week brought the exciting news that I’ve been accepted into the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at the Evans School a the University of Washington. I’ll be starting next autumn in beautiful Parrington Hall on campus. I am so incredibly thankful to everyone who helped me achieve this.
So much has happened to bring me here! I spent the holidays last December on a furiously paced, two-week study session for the GRE, a test required for anyone applying to grad school. I haven’t taken a standardized test since 1985 so there was a bit of culture shock involved. Everything seems different. First, all test-taking is done on a computer which was new to me. I kinda miss trekking into the test with a couple of #2 pencils and a little pencil sharpener (in case of all systems failure). Second, and most disturbing, is that one must answer each question in order; there is no preceding to the next question until a response is submitted. This meant that my age old testing technique of answering those I know up front, gauging my time and plodding back through the rest of the questions wasn’t a relevant approach to standardized tests anymore. I’d spent my youth perfecting this strategy so I was a bit aghast to have to relearn test taking. It all worked out in the end, and I’m a better-rounded 21st century student now (ha!). In other words, I’m glad that it’s over.
Currently, I’m on spring break and celebrating a 3.77 cumulative gpa. Winter quarter I took Managing Organizational Performance at the Evans School (a required class for the MPA) and Statistics at South Seattle Community College. Next week I start Health and Human Rights, a course shared between International Studies and the Law School at the UW. I will apply this to the International Development Certificate I hope to earn. I will also begin Microeconomics at South Seattle Community College, a preparatory MPA class (along with Statistics) I vowed to take on my Grad School application.
I’m playing with the idea of concurrently earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) along with the MPA. This would add one-year to my studies but greatly strengthen my academic arsenal. As I will be 46 upon graduation, it seems prudent to make myself as capable and skilled as possible. We’ll see how this pans out.
Well, I’m off to finish my last weekend as a civilian before the new quarter starts up. Hope y’all are enjoying this beautiful spring day… I’m gonna do my taxes! Woohoo!
Best,
Tracy
