MPA Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Streeper

Describe your current position, what you enjoy most about it, and what you find most challenging.

As Director of Advancement for the SPCA of Wake County, I oversee the daily operations of SPCA Wake’s donor care team, build case statements for fund development, and provide data-driven strategic leadership for the advancement of the organization. What I enjoy most about my position is the opportunity to work with SPCA Wake staff, donors, and volunteers on many different projects to help grow our programs and create a more significant impact in our community. (And being able to visit with the animals, of course!) The most challenging part of my job is balancing these projects to ensure that everything gets done in the time needed.

What is a typical workday for you?

This is a hard question to answer because I honestly don’t have a “typical” workday. My days have ranged from writing a grant application for our foster care program, to developing a participant needs survey for our low-cost microchip clinics, working with our Operations leadership on ways to refine our program data, researching funding opportunities for community cat services, brainstorming donor stewardship ideas with our VP of Philanthropy, or analyzing data from our Pet Helpline to make strategic recommendations on program needs. But that variety is one of the things I love about this position. And it helps remind me that there isn’t just one way to move an organization forward – every position, program, and person at SPCA Wake helps advance our mission.

How did the MPA program at NC State prepare you for your current position? 

The MPA program helped prepare me for this position and was instrumental in how I obtained it. The internship class requirement for the MPA program is what led me to become the development intern for SPCA Wake. And because of the skills that I developed from the MPA program, that internship evolved into my first full-time position with SPCA Wake. My current position with SPCA Wake is my fourth promotion in four years, and that’s because of the MPA program. Not only did this program strengthen my skills and knowledge in critical areas like research, data analysis, grant writing, and communications, but I learned how to ask the right questions and approach projects from a multitude of perspectives.

What did you enjoy about being an MPA student?

Even though every professor had a different style, I enjoyed the safe and open dialogue that occurred in every single one of my classes. I know that sounds like something that should be a guarantee, but it’s not, especially when it comes to having conversations about the public sector and how it should serve the community. Whether you pursue a career at a nonprofit or in government, the work you will be doing will have an emotional component because your position’s purpose is to help serve others. That makes conversations about how best to do this type of work ten times harder. But the professors in this program were able to facilitate those conversations and do it in a way that made everyone’s thoughts and ideas welcome.

Did you complete any hands-on experiences while in the program?

Yes! Besides the internship class, many of the final projects for my classes required working with an actual nonprofit/public entity, which I loved and helped prepare me for the professional world. The hands-on experience that was the most significant benefit to my career was the grant proposal final for Dr. Stewart’s grant writing course. I worked with Second Chance Pet Adoptions to create a proposal for heartworm treatment funding from the Pedigree Foundation, and it actually ended up getting funded. Coming into the professional world as an already successful grant writer helped me be seen as a professional instead of a student.

What was your favorite part of the MPA Program?

My favorite part of the MPA program was the hands-on projects and experiences. It allowed me to apply what I was learning in the classroom, explore what it was like to work with different organizations, and figure out what types of projects I liked and didn’t like.

What do you find to be the most interesting, or challenging, part of Public Administration?

What I find to be the most interesting part of Public Administration is also what I see as the most challenging: the diversity of needs in the community that organizations/governments are serving and the multitude of solutions created to meet those needs. The fact that there are so many missions/service programs in the public sector is incredible and should be celebrated. But I think we as a field need to do a better job of finding where missions/causes meet and using that common ground to make a bigger impact for the people we serve. 

What advice do you have for those considering a career in Public Administration?

It is incredibly rewarding, but there are also times when it can be challenging. Because you are (hopefully) working for a cause that you are passionate about. And that passion can make it difficult to turn off your work brain at the end of the day, get personal tasks done, focus on friends and family, etc. So whether you are currently working in Public Administration or looking to, be sure to advocate for yourself – because your time, treasure, and talents are directly related to your capacity to make the world a better place.