The MPA program has had the good fortune this year of adding Benjamin Feldbush as a faculty member teaching with Doreen Swetkis in Tacoma’s first year MPA core courses.  Ben has the distinction of graduating from the MPA program’s first Tacoma cohort in 2021, serves as a program manager for Comprehensive Life Resources, and contributes courses as a faculty member at Tacoma Community College.  MPA Director Mike Craw sat down with Ben for an interview in November: 

What stands out to you from your experience in the MPA program? 

 For me, it was the diverse reasons why people come into the MPA program and the diverse experiences they bring to the classroom. I like engaging with the MPA students, as a faculty member and when I was a student. Everyone has different approaches to engaging their communities, which contributes to rich conversations.  It is exciting to see people learning from each other.  In fact, when I was an MPA student, I used to seminar every day with other students in our cohort. Being challenged in my worldview and hearing from others challenged in theirs deepened my learning in countless ways. 

Why did you choose the Evergreen MPA? 

I see education as a holistic experience and this is what the Evergreen MPA program offers. Learning is not just about coming to understand subject matter, but about shaping the whole person and their way of experiencing the world. I like to learn how other people see things and in that way broaden out how I look at things. This approach also helps in finding and then shaping your own voice.  This is the way to learn how to be a good leader, one who is open to learning and change. 

How did the MPA program help prepare you for your current career? 

What I learned in the MPA program didn’t just help me in my career, it helped me in my life.  I see myself now as a policymaker for myself and my family. I use the tools I learned in the MPA program in my job and at home.  Being in the MPA program gave me the tools to learn how to learn and how to reach out effectively to others.  I learned how to take the time to make decisions that are right for me.  I learned how to give and receive feedback not just at work but with others in my life.  And I do a “self-SWOT” analysis to guide my personal and career decision making. In fact I teach this to my freshman students at Tacoma Community College as a way to develop a personal mission and life strategies to get where they want to go.  You need to ask yourself “Who is helping you to reach your goals?  Who are the people on your bus?” 

 You are in the interesting position of being an MPA faculty member after having been a student in the program. What has that experience been like for you? 

I work professionally in the nonprofit sector and use a lot of MPA applied tools regularly. So for me the challenge has been in remembering public administration theory!  I also teach freshmen and sophomores at Tacoma Community College, and so transitioning to teach graduate students is a new experience for me. But I kind of look at learning to teach MPA as a sort of research project where I am learning about what students want from me.  The experience has let me better understand what motivates faculty. For me, teaching in MPA is not just about the assignments and material, but supporting students in how to balance their work and family life with graduate school. Its about sharing the strategies that worked for me as an MPA student. Empathy is a big part of teaching for me, and using my own experience to encourage current MPA students.  I want students to know that you only learn so much from your professors. You also need to learn from your peers. And as a leader you need to be adaptable to change. 

 Do you have advice for current or future MPA students? 

Don’t be complacent. Be open to change and be able to move outside of your comfort zone. Be curious.  What is there in a situation that is interesting and useful.  You need to be able to find meaning and value in ideas that you do not like.