Efrain responds:
My favorite aspect is the experience in general. Being back in a classroom with people that are also interested in learning about public affairs with professors that have been working in the field for years its amazing. Being at such a big university like the University of Washington gives you the chance to be exposed to a lot of opportunities and finally living in Seattle has been also an important part of my learning experience, a green, innovative and progressive city.
My least favorite aspect of studying at the Evans School is that our classes are focused on giving us tools and techniques that we can apply at work and not on just academic theory. Sometimes I just want to learn about something without having to come up with a recommendation or conclusion. When this happens, I take classes at other departments at the University of Washington that are more theory-oriented.
Efrain Gutierrez is a second year Master of Public Administration (MPA) student at the Evans School with interests in global governance, international development, Latino communities in the U.S., and gender policy. Efrain received his MPA from the Evans School in June, 2010. More about Efrain