Name: Joshua Weissman LaFrance
Where are you from? Boston, MA
Where do you currently live (neighborhood/town)? Waltham, MA
Where did you complete your undergraduate degree and what is your degree in? Suffolk University, BS in Government
Are you studying full time or part time? Full-time
Why did you choose to get your MPA? I wanted to keep learning! Plus, the skills and credentials will help me to lead in public service settings.
What is your ultimate career goal? I will work all over the world in urban and sustainable development. Eventually, maybe I will run my own development agency as well.
What has been your favorite part of your graduate experience at Suffolk so far? We’ve got so many smart people in the grad school, from any number of the programs. If you have an interest, a question or a curiosity, there is someone who can answer it. If you seek it out, it is not hard to grow and to expand your knowledge base.
What advice would you give to incoming SBS grad students? Easy: get involved, get to know people, scheme and collaborate with other students. Take advantage of the space and resources available to you here. You will get as much as you put in — if not more.
Share a fun fact about yourself: I have a lifelong love of maps and am a growing collector of them. I’ve got ones from all regions of the world and different time periods. I especially appreciate the older designs of cities with deep histories (Madrid, Marrakech, Mexico City — apparently any place with an “M”….)
Joshua Weissman LaFrance, MPA