Thomas Studnicky came to Appalachian State University knowing he was interested in political science but unclear as to what career path he could or wanted to choose. He looked for possibilities in which he could help others, learn more about political science and work with small government or organizations.  

His first college class was State and Local Government with Dr. Michael Potter. In that class, Studnicky said he discovered that local government was a topic that excited him.

Now, Studnicky is in the Political Science (BS) - Public Administration degree track. He hopes to continue his education at Appalachian beyond his undergraduate degree with the department’s accelerated admissions master’s program and receive his Master of Public Administration.

Studnicky further realized his career goals after interning with the town manager of Apex, North Carolina. And, hearing Potter talk about different positions in local government also helped him learn more about the different options a public servant has.

His main goal is to become a town manager or head of a department. He wants a position where he can focus on more than one topic at once, constantly learning and solving new problems.

In the meantime, Studnicky is gaining leadership experience as a residence assistant in Eggers Residence Hall and a member of the Student Government Association.

He hopes other students will realize the potential in public administration. To Studnicky, public administration provides a student with many possibilities because of the variety of jobs to be found in the public sector. One of the reasons he loves public administration is because he sees it as a combination of business and politics.

Studnicky’s advice to incoming students: “It’s not high school. The first semester is hard, and you have to work as hard as or harder than you did back then.”

But like he said, an education in public administration is something to be excited about.