Georgia State University helped me and it’s making a difference for others

“Georgia State has always been a place where opportunity and excellence go hand in hand. At the Andrew Young School, we see that mission in students who use their education to improve their lives and their communities. That combination of access, excellence and public impact is what makes Georgia State so special.” — Thomas J. Vicino, Dean, Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

As the son of an undocumented immigrant, I have been a Georgia resident off and on for much of my life. My success story is unique and Georgia State University is a big part of it. Without GSU, my life would have been much different.

I had two children and a wife by the time I was 19. I had to work to support them, so I started going to Georgia State University at night. At the time, it was the only option for me to get higher education. I did well, getting a bachelor’s degree and then a master’s degree in public administration. That enabled me to advance in my career.

I am a proud member of the first MPA graduating class back in 1976 and an original member of the GSU Andrew Young School Alumni Council.

Within six years of getting my MPA, I was employed by a major healthcare corporation and well on my way. I retired as a corporate senior vice president. When I talk to GSU graduates at Rotary Club and elsewhere, I hear similar stories as to how the Andrew Young School changed their lives.

The Andrew Young School is now home to more than 2,400 students, roughly 200 faculty members and about 200 research and administrative staff. From meager beginnings in 1996, it is now one of the biggest — and best — public affairs schools in the country, hosting five separate departments: Criminal Justice and Criminology, Economics, Public Management and Policy, the School of Social Work and the Urban Studies Institute. The school is doing important work. The Georgia Health Policy Center is seeking to improve health outcomes in a state that ranks poorly on many indicators, including coverage. Georgia Policy Labs is providing evidence-based data to decision-makers to improve public policy proposals. The Experimental Economics Center examines the economics behind policy decision-making. The Urban Studies Institute is doing research on the imminent challenges related to rapid growth and quality of life. The Evidence-Based Cybersecurity Research Group is using data to define the emergence of information technology threats and recommend effective responses in this time of independent, self-driven AI.

Various Andrew Young School programs lead the nation, including urban policy, public finance/budgeting and nonprofit/local government management. The school also scores highly in public management, leadership/public affairs and public policy.

Again, this works matters.

And it is not just the educational programs that score well. Among hundreds of public universities, GSU was ranked eighth this year for First Year Experiences and 18th for Social Mobility by U.S. News & World Report. Plus, Georgia State confers more bachelor’s degrees to Black students than any other nonprofit university in the nation.

And, oh yes, our football team is doing a lot better this year, although the Georgia Bulldogs do not have much to worry about.

In summary, all I can add is “Go Panthers.”