Читать книгу The CQ Press Career Guide for Public Sector Students - Michelle C. Pautz - Страница 7

My journey owes much to a number of individuals along the way that talked with me and helped me figure out what I was passionate about and what I wanted to pursue professionally. Dr. Sharon Spray and Dr. Doug Redington, both of Elon University, were undergraduate professors of mine that shaped my interests in environmental issues. Dr. Chalmers Brumbaugh and Dr. Betty Morgan have both retired from Elon, but were instrumental in helping me pursue those first internship experiences and find my way to Virginia Tech. In graduate school, Dr. Karen Hult and Dr. Larkin Dudley played major roles in helping me refine my passions, as did my fellow graduate students. Then as a professor, I continue to encounter students who inspire and motivate me—including a number of them profiled in the following pages.

But I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge my family. My husband, Steven, is a dedicated federal civil servant himself. And I’m inspired by and incredibly proud of the work he does. It’s not easy being a civil servant and he’s dedicated himself to public service. And it’s not easy being married to someone like me who studies the public sector and always has bizarre questions or abstract theories to contextualize what he might be experiencing in his day-to-day work. It takes a special kind of person to put up with that. Beyond his professional pursuits, he provides unwavering and unconditional support for my professional aspirations. The love he offers is enhanced by the affection and attention of our three amazing dogs, Sydney, Victoria, and Mackenzie. Their support is of a far different nature, but their wagging tails, understanding looks, and general presence are essential in keeping me grounded and motivating me.