ASU public affairs graduate committed to public service
Tierra McDonald is the fall 2017 outstanding graduate of the School of Public Affairs.
Editor’s note: This is part of a series of profiles for fall 2017 commencement. See more graduates here.
Tierra McDonald grew up in a family immersed in public service. Whether for work or volunteering, the importance of being involved in the community was instilled in her at an early age.
So it wasn’t a surprise that she chose the same career path, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in public service and public policy with the School of Public Affairs, part of the College of Public Service and Community Solutions at Arizona State University. McDonald is her school's outstanding graduate for fall 2017.
“I had just moved to the state and was impressed with the awards and accolades that ASU has received,” McDonald said. “With a focus on innovation and service, it was a natural fit for me.”
McDonald said she has been on both sides – in poverty and making it out.
“It is easy to find yourself in that situation. We are all the same,” she said. “It is important to help others, appreciate what you have and be willing to share.”
At ASU, she says the most eye-opening thing she learned was the importance of sustainability. A green initiatives class gave her a greater understanding of why legislation is developed and what we can be doing better.
“You hear about climate change, global warming, but don’t realize how daily actions impact the planet,” she said. “We want to live comfortably and do the right thing for generations to come.
“It makes me cringe a little less to pay 10 cents for a plastic bag, or see how I am doing relative to neighbors on my utility bills.”
McDonald will continue at ASU, pursuing a master's degree in public administration. Her ultimate goal is to become a court administrator or city manager.
Her big aspirations? Make an impact on inequality and justice. She says that if she were given $40 million today to solve one problem, she would address the slave trade in Libya.
“Slavery was abolished a long time ago. No one should be sold,” she said.
Written by Heather Beshears
More Environment and sustainability
From ASU to the Amazon: Student bridges communities with solar canoe project
While Elizabeth Swanson Andi’s peers were lining up to collect their diplomas at the fall 2018 graduation ceremony at Arizona…
From environmental storytelling to hydroponics, student cohort crafts solutions for a better future
A select group of students from Arizona State University's College of Global Futures, a unit within the Julie Ann…
2 ASU faculty elected as AAAS Fellows
Two outstanding Arizona State University faculty spanning the physical sciences, psychological sciences and science policy have…