Rutgers SPAA student Gihun Heo Honored with 2024 NJMMA Sheila Oliver Award

Gihun Heo, a Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA) Master of Public Administration (MPA) student, has been honored with the 2024 Honorable Sheila Oliver Service Award from the New Jersey Municipal Management Association (NJMMA). In recognition of the services provided by Former Lieutenant Governor of New Jersey Sheila Oliver to residents of New Jersey, NJMMA created an annual scholarship award in Oliver's honor for students who are seeking a career in public service.

Heo shared his experiences with and thoughts about being an MPA student at SPAA:

Anticipated Graduation:
May 2025

Why did you enroll at SPAA?
My interest and what I want to do in the future is to build HR systems that enable diverse populations to perform within public organizations. I applied to SPAA at Rutgers University because it has a promising program in PA and I expected to study with distinguished professors.

What do you hope to accomplish with your degree?
I don't want to mention the typical things you get from a degree. Instead I think the biggest achievement is that it has made me fearless of new challenges. The times I have been brave enough to take on new environments – new challenges – are the most impressive achievements for me.

Biggest Challenge?
I'm an immigrant. Adapting to a new environment, a new language, and a new culture while producing academic results has been a challenge. In that context, I feel very fortunate to have found my place at Rutgers University and in the Newark community. The warm-hearted people here have helped me settle in very quickly.

Next Steps?
Academically, I would like to further study the field of public HR, and my ongoing challenge is to fully integrate as a member of the Newark community.

Anything else you wish to add?
We all benefit from having a coworker when we're doing something unfamiliar. I would like to thank my wife for giving me the courage to take on new challenges in a foreign country.