MPA Alumni Spotlight: Kyle Della Giustina, '23

My name is Kyle Della Giustina, I am a second year MPA student. I completed my undergrad degree here at the University of Arizona in 2021, I graduated with a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice with a minor in Middle Eastern and North African studies with Dean’s List honors and 4-time academic honorable mention. I grew up in southern California about 45 minutes outside of downtown Los Angeles where I lived for 18 years until I moved to Tucson in 2017. I enjoy watching sports and playing video games with my friends in my free time. I have spent most of my professional career in school here at the UofA where I have learned more in six years than I could have ever dreamed of.

I currently work as a graduate assistant in the Dean of Students office where I assist in the logistical planning of University disciplinary hearing boards as well as lending a helping hand to our student care team. I am also the active Vice President of the Public Affairs Student Association (PASA) where our main goal is to advance the values and goals of the University of Arizona Masters of Public Administration and Public Policy programs through professional networking, service learning, social interaction and student feedback.

My biggest accomplishment to date was getting accepted to the MPA program here at the UofA. The reason why I chose the MPA program was for a multitude of reasons. The main reason I wanted to be a part of this program was my passion for public service and wanting to see others succeed. I have a passion for serving my community and I felt that if I had the opportunity to learn from the best professors in the world in their respective fields, it would be a no brainer decision to accept my admission.

I have learned a lot about the field of Public Administration in my three semesters in the program so far, but I have also learned a lot about myself as well. Through my time spent in classes, I have learned to be a better organizational leader, how to manage conflict from a leadership standpoint, how to effectively analyze policy implementation and many more valuable lessons. This program has also taught me a lot about myself, I have learned that I have a true passion for serving my community and doing everything in my power to make sure they succeed. I have also learned to appreciate the brilliance of my fellow classmates. So many of our students in the MPA program bring unique real-world experiences and points of view to the table, closing my mouth and opening my ears when listening to my classmates has taught me lessons not only in the classroom but in life as well. As the MPA program here at the UofA is smaller compared to other schools, it feels like a family with the students and the professors. I couldn’t think of a better program to grow as a student and a person.

My plan for post-graduation is to move to Washington D.C. or Virginia and begin my career in politics. There I hope to achieve my lifelong dream of one day taking part in a Criminal Justice reform. It has been something I have been extremely passionate about and have dedicated a lot of my college career to researching. Ultimately, I believe the MPA program has put me in a position to achieve my goals and dreams of one day to “be the change I want to see in the world” (Mahatma Gandhi).