Fifteen years ago, Jessica Deakyne was a member of the inaugural cohort of Cal State Fullerton’s City Management Fellowship Program (CMFP). At the time, she was looking for an opportunity to explore firsthand what a career in city government could actually look like.
“CMFP allowed me to test that theory without having to take a step back in my career with an internship or entry-level role,” Deakyne said. “It set in concrete my desire to shift to a city and shifted my career focus in a positive way.”
Now, Deakyne finds herself on the other side of that relationship, informally mentoring Jenna Ross, a CSUF communications alumna, current MPA student, and one of this year’s fellows.
“I kind of feel like she was me, like, now,” Ross said. “So when Jessica told me I should apply, I thought, ‘I’m definitely going to.'”
Ross and Deakyne’s mentoring relationship developed independently of the official fellowship program, but their connection offers a fitting look at how the program has come full circle.
Reflecting on her experience as a fellow, Deakyne described the city management fellowship as an opportunity to “truly pull back the proverbial curtain on city management.”
Ross described what she hopes to gain from the fellowship in remarkably similar terms.
“I’m really hoping for the chance to see behind the curtain a little bit,” Ross said. “I’m really just interested in being in the room where it happens.”
Both women describe one of the fellowship’s greatest benefits in much the same way: the opportunity to move beyond the classroom and see firsthand what leadership in local government actually looks like.
That opportunity was exactly what the fellowship was created to provide.
The idea for CMFP began with Ben Siegel, a 2007 graduate of CSUF’s Master of Public Administration program and current city manager for the City of San Juan Capistrano.
Soon after graduating from CSUF, Siegel was working in local government for the City of Lake Forest and had opportunities early in his career to work directly with city managers and department heads. Those leaders took the time to include him in important conversations and give him a closer view of municipal leadership.
Siegel recognized that his experience wasn’t something every MPA student had access to.
“My experience was relatively unique, and there were several MPA students who were extremely talented and ambitious, yet didn’t have that same level of exposure to organizational leadership for one reason or another,” Siegel said.
For Siegel, that lack of access could become a limitation as students tried to move forward in their careers. He envisioned a program that could help close that gap by connecting MPA students directly with city managers and other local government leaders.
“My hope was that the fellowship could help compensate by ensuring top MPA students had an opportunity to engage directly with city managers and other local leaders,” Siegel said.
Read the full story on HSS News to discover how the program has grown and the lasting impact of its mentorships.