Recent reflections from MPA students at the Truman School offer a small but instructive data point for those studying the theory-practice divide in public affairs education. Kali Michael's internship led her to conclude that core MPA competencies, communication, leadership, strategic thinking, ethical decision-making, collaboration, are not merely pedagogical constructs but operational variables that shape organizational effectiveness and service delivery. Sabrina Moeder's account gestures toward the relational and street-level dimensions of administration that formal models can obscure, observing that the work is fundamentally about "working with people, solving problems, and making decisions that improve the community." David Ndayishimiye's framing is perhaps most relevant to those of us interested in institutional design and long-term capacity: he distinguishes between service delivered today and the systems built to sustain service tomorrow, an implicit nod to the literature on administrative sustainability and institutional resilience. Taken together, these accounts function as informal case evidence for the value of experiential learning how critical it is to have both work hand in hand.
At the Truman School, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is built on a simple premise: the best public servants are trained not only in the classroom, but also in the field. Through internships, a capstone class, and other hands-on experiences, students are encouraged to move beyond theory and test what they've learned against the realities of public service. For many, that shift changes not just what they know, but how they think about the work itself.
This summer students interned for City of Galesburg (IL), Planned Parenthood Great Rivers, District of Columbia Water and Sewage Authority (DC), Boone County Office of Emergency Management, Mayor of Kansas City - Quinton Lucas, the Ann Wagner campaign and many others. Here is what a couple of our students had to say about their experiences.
- From Concepts to Competencies
MPA coursework emphasizes a core set of competencies: communication, leadership, strategic thinking, ethical decision-making, collaboration, and public service. On paper, these can sound like abstractions. In practice, students are finding that they are anything but.
Kali Michael, an MPA student who recently completed an internship with the House Republican Campaign Committee, described the experience as a turning point in how she understood her education. "Overall, this internship served as an important bridge between theory and practice," she said. "It demonstrated that the competencies emphasized throughout the MPA curriculum, including communication, leadership, strategic thinking, ethical decision-making, collaboration, and public service, are not simply academic concepts. They are practical skills that directly influence the effectiveness of organizations and the quality of service provided to citizens."
That shift, from viewing coursework as academic exercise to recognizing it as a professional toolkit, is precisely what the Truman School's experiential learning model is designed to produce.
- Public Service as People Work
For other students, the internship experience reframed their understanding of what public administration involves. Sabrina Moeder, second year student, found that her fieldwork with the City of Columbia underscored the human dimension of a discipline often associated with policy and process.
"It reminded me that public administration isn't just about policies or procedures, it's about working with people, solving problems, and making decisions that improve the community," Moeder said.
That reminder is one of the quiet lessons of experiential learning: policy exists to serve people, and the frameworks students’ study are only as good as the relationships and judgment applied to them on the ground.
- Building Systems for Tomorrow
David Ndayishimiye came away from his internship with CSC International North America, a community-based nonprofit organization in Kansas City, with a broader view of impact, one that stretches beyond the immediate outcomes of a single day's work. For him, real public service means thinking about sustainability and long-term structures, not just short-term results.
"Looking back, I believe this experience reinforced an important lesson: effective public service is not measured only by the number of people assisted today, but also by the systems created to help people tomorrow," Ndayishimiye said.
That perspective, focused on building durable systems rather than chasing one-off wins, reflecting exactly the kind of strategic thinking the MPA program aims to cultivate.
- Learning That Lasts
Taken together, these reflections point to a common thread: experiential learning gives MPA students a way to test, refine, and internalize the competencies at the heart of their program. Communication becomes a skill practiced in real meetings. Ethical decision-making becomes a judgment call made under real pressure. Collaboration becomes the daily work of solving problems alongside colleagues and community members.
For Truman School students, these internships do more than fulfill a program requirement. They offered proof that the classroom and the workplace are not separate worlds, but two halves of the same preparation for a career in public service.
As the Truman School continues to expand experiential learning opportunities for its MPA students, these stories serve as a reminder of why the model matters: it doesn't just teach students about public administration. It shows them, firsthand, what it means to practice it.