KUCIMAT Spring 2007 Newsletter

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Class President's Message

Destination: Kansas City 

If you happen to be looking for a member of the KU MPA Class of 2008 next year, you won’t have to look far.  The majority of our class elected to take positions in the Kansas City area next year, with a few exceptions that include Westminster, Col., Wichita, Kan., and San Antonio, Tex.  As a native Kansan and Jayhawk through and through, I would like to hope this is because of the great impression we made on the out-of-towners, but I actually think it has something more to do with the KUCIMAT alumni network in Kansas City and our internship experiences over the past year.  A huge thank you to all of the alumni that took time out of your busy schedules to meet with us and an even bigger thank you to our supervisors who make our education a priority on a daily basis.

We would also like to thank our practitioner in residence, Matt Allen, assistant city manger of Garden City, with whom we got to spend two action-packed days (well more like 19 hours once you subtract the six hour drive both ways) in April.  As well as the Class of 2007, especially Zach Mohr, for their constant support through our transition into grad school to finding jobs for next year.  They set the standard for how each class should treat the one that comes next and we hope we can be as helpful to the Class of 2009 next year. 

As I’ve met with prospective and incoming students over the past year, they always ask me if the KUCIMAT network is as big of a deal as everyone keeps telling them it is.  And although I too was skeptical in the beginning, I cannot begin to tell you what a believer I am now.  Everyday I am reminded that there is a group of people across the nation that is rooting for the success of my class and what an honor it is to be part of such a strong and successful network of people.

When my class came to Lawrence last year, we were a little unsure about each other.  Now, I think we are all starting to wonder what it’s going to be like next year when we don’t get to spend so much time together.  So my final thank you goes out to my classmates – through all of our differences we were able to come together for three semesters and navigate our way through this crazy maze called public administration.  Thank you for bringing your stubborn qualities, your hometown stories (enough about Iowa already!), your sense of adventure and your willingness to learn.  I will never forget our time together at the top of the hill and I look forward to keeping in touch with each you over the years.

Rock Chalk,

Meredith Hauck