Erick Bravo is Committed to Making a Difference

“As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, ‘A goal without a plan is just a wish,’” said Erick Bravo, this year’s Outstanding Graduate in Public Affairs. During his time at SDSU, Bravo has certainly learned the importance of setting goals and sticking to them.

On top of achieving excellence in the classroom, Bravo held an internship in the City of Escondido’s Planning Department, where he was involved in updating legislation that dealt with climate action planning, water conservation, and departmental goals. His position gave him insight into the importance of collaborating with colleagues, which enables work that is both comprehensive and meaningful.

He credits his success both inside and outside of the classroom to his perseverance and time management. “I found the days passing by due to how busy I was, yet I felt that I was not making significant progress on everything that I needed to get done,” said Bravo. “As time passed, I learned to manage my time more effectively, and, more importantly, take time for myself. It has helped shape me into someone who appreciates everything that I am able to get done while focusing and prioritizing everything that is left.

After graduation, Bravo hopes to find a job that allows him to be involved with the policymaking process at the city or county level. He is passionate about housing equity and would like to help enact policy that would increase the amount of affordable housing for low and medium-income households.

“My experience in Public Administration helped me understand the responsibility of government as stewards to the public,” Bravo said. “In order to fill that role, I learned the principles of planning, managing, organizing, and pioneering legislation along with community efforts to truly make a difference.”

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.