MPP Alumni Spotlight: Tristan Hites, '22
The inauguration of the Tucson Fellowship began in summer 2021 and Tristan was selected as the programs' first Tucson Fellow. Starting in Fall 2021, Tristan started as a Management Intern with the City of Tucson and, although focusing in environmental policy, worked in various areas of local government with the City. After graduating from the Master of Public Policy program this past May, Tristan began working for the City of Tucson in the City Manager’s Office as a Staff Assistant.
The MPP program gave Tristan all the background and foundational knowledge needed to work in his full-time position. As the first Tucson Fellow, this opportunity helped him bridge the gap between the foundational skills learned in school to real world scenarios. Using the skills learned in school, he was able to confidently undertake several projects, program analyses, and more.
The Staff Assistant role is dynamic and allows him to work on a variety of different projects and initiatives including Tucson’s Water Master Plan, the ARPA Community Partner Grant program, and internal program evaluations. Due to the fast moving and always evolving nature of the City Manager’s Office, it can be difficult juggling a variety of timelines, priorities, and complex projects, all of which have a great weight upon them as they impact the whole City of Tucson. But for that same reason, when a project or analysis is completed, it can be extremely rewarding as it directly benefits the people who call Tucson home. The MPP program, the Tucson Fellowship, and the current Staff Assistant position have been wonderful, gratifying experiences and solidified Tristan’s passion for public service.
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Update!
On February 13, 2023, Tristan was selected as a finalist for the Presidential Management Fellowship(link is external) (PMF)! The PMF program is quite prestigious and extremely competitive in the selection process. This year, there were just over 10,000 applications received across the country from many academic disciplines and a total of 850 were selected as finalists. Tristan is very excited about being selected as a 2023 Presidential Management Fellow and will be pursuing an appointment at a federal agency soon. Congratulations Tristan!