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“What a nice surprise and honor,” exclaimed many of the students at Rutgers-Newark’s School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) as former Governor Jon Corzine facilitated a questions and answers session with nearly 50 undergraduate students studying public service. Very few were aware that Governor Corzine would be making a guest appearance during Associate Professor Kyle Farmbry’s “Public Service Responsible Citizenship” class. Governor Corzine stopped by to share his experiences in public service and to encourage the students to be public servants in their professional or private lives.

“Public service is about people serving people. Whether help and support are being provided to children, the elderly, or the disenfranchised, public service is good and necessary for society,” Corzine stated.

Governor Corzine talked about his term as governor of New Jersey, noting his particular drive to advance policy reform that impacted children. According to Corzine, the needs of all children are paramount from the very first day of their lives. He championed public policies that promoted high-quality and affordable education and health care for every child everywhere.

At the conclusion of the Q&A session, Gizelle Clemens and Abel Jimenez, two first-semester transfer students majoring in public service at SPAA, presented Corzine with a certificate of appreciation.

“Governor Corzine, today you have inspired us just like President John F. Kennedy inspired you,” said Clemens as she shook Corzine’s hand and thanked him for his visit.

ABOUT RUTGERS SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ADMINISTRATION

Founded in 2006, SPAA is the first new school established at Rutgers University in more than 20 years. SPAA has one of the top 10 graduate programs in the United States in public management and administration, according to rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.
 

SPAA’s mission encompasses competence, diversity, knowledge and service, and the school equips future leaders and educators with the tools necessary to efficiently and effectively deliver government services. It is the only such school at a public university in New Jersey. SPAA enhances New Jersey’s capacity to develop more effective government at all levels, offering degree and non-degree programs, research and technical assistance to make government more transparent to citizens. The school’s most recent initiatives include a national network on performance measurement and reporting, a municipal public performance measurement system, and the development of the E-Governance Institute.

For more information about the school, visit http://spaa.newark.rutgers.edu.

• Contact Name: Ferlanda Fox Nixon
• Contact Phone: 973/353-5262
• Contact Email: ferlanda@andromeda.rutgers.edu