Working on my Capstone project has been one of the most eye-opening experiences of my life. When reflecting on my experiences, two major themes come to mind - change and perseverance. Each Bush School Capstone simulates work projects in organizations that MPA students will work in after graduation. With this, continually shifting needs arise, internally and externally, and teams must adapt and push through these challenges. Specifically, in my Capstone project, some of our conflicts came from working on a diverse team from different backgrounds, experiences, leadership styles, and personality traits. Our Capstone also tested new waters by being the first two work with two clients simultaneously. This eventually led to organizational complexity and structure problems, which I learned and grew from.

Though our Capstone had two clients, each member of the Capstone is split among two subteams that directly report to either client. Through municipal networking with the City of Navasota, we were able to have the City as our client. The primary problems the Navasota subteam addressed were the financial strategies, management practices, and citizen feedback regarding Capital Improvement Projects (CIPs). CIPs include large infrastructure projects done at the municipal level such as street, waterway, and power improvements. By evaluating case studies, interviewing stakeholders, developing a community survey, and looking at technical documents, we made a thorough report and recommendations on the state of CIP management. Ultimately, we found the City did an outstanding job on citizen and stakeholder engagement and performed very well in terms of management practices internally. However, some of the feedback from community surveys were mixed. We developed monthly progress reports for the client, a final presentation to the City Council, staff, and residents, and a final report to the City Manager.

Diversity was one of the main components that made our Capstone end up with high-quality deliverables and a unique set of experiences. With eleven students from various ages, backgrounds, and work experiences, we were one of the most diverse groups in all of the Bush Capstones. This diversity includes four international students, people of all races, a healthy mixture of men and women, and a wide range of ages. Naturally, miscommunications and misunderstandings came up frequently during the beginning. Some of these were cultural barriers and others occurred due to conflicting personality types and leadership styles. Despite this, our team intentionally worked with a leadership advisor to help us use the results of our strengths and personality traits to work through leadership challenges! We dedicated multiple hours of class meetings to mediate these problems and work through diversity. Passion for our continued education and hard work toward shared goals was evident in each student. Everyone went above and beyond expectations to do their share, help out, and work with the end in mind. Someone once said to me, "Diversity is always more difficult than sameness." I echo that sentiment from my experience; however, I believe that our Capstone was truly made better by the conflict the team persevered through.

In discussions about our book, Administrative Behavior, and first semester experiences, the Capstone focused attention on the concept of hierarchy. Our professor, Dr Justin Bullock, allowed the students to organize and form our own structures for the Capstone class. By taking a somewhat hands-off approach at the beginning, the leadership quickly grew into a struggle for power. This was mediated and settled throughout several leadership meetings throughout the latter half of the first semester. Ultimately, the whole team decided to move from three levels of hierarchy between the lowest leadership position and the professor to only two levels. Removing this extra layer significantly helped communication and information flow internally. Hierarchy evolved as team needs changed and I appreciate getting to see these events from my own perspective. Leaving room for adaptation was beneficial for all parties involved. And as changes were made in positions and structure, all team members were cordial and understood the importance of flexibility.

One of the most influential classes I have taken in graduate school is my Capstone class. It has been the most rigorous, yet fulfilling classes, in terms of my professional and academic development. Week in and week out, I continually have the opportunity of working closely with a team to accomplish a goal for our clients. I have learned most about working on a diverse team and seeing challenges that arise from starting an organization structure from scratch. Overall, I am incredibly grateful for my Capstone group and the lessons I have learned by working together with them.