Sue Liu (MPA ’04), Dan Klabunde (MPA ’03), and Amber Talburt (MPA ’03)
Article By: Dan Klabunde (MPA ’03)
When I arrived at the Evans School, I did not know a single person, and it was about to rain 100 days in a row. I was desperate for both friends and mensa-level study partners (statistics had not gone well for me in the past…). On both counts, I found my people.
Amber Talburt showed up early. She was also from out of town, didn’t know anyone, and signed up for every Evans orientation activity. We became fast friends. Sue Liu came along through a first-year economics study group that was really just three or four slightly confused people trying to figure out what was going on. Sue and I had several of these study groups together, across many classes, and there were definitely some frantic, late evening phone calls involved (mostly by me). Twenty-plus years later, we still reminisce about how we eked out respectable grades on some of the more challenging assignments.
Amber, Sue and I solidified our growing friendship by leading our Evans co-rec basketball team to an unexpected championship. It was basically a “Miracle on Ice” type situation. I still have the championship t-shirt. Sue has a team picture in her kitchen in a bowl. Not to judge, but it should probably be in a more prominent place on the refrigerator.
After graduation, the three of us poked around Seattle for a bit. We took some temporary jobs, met up for happy hours, and started adulting. Eventually, new jobs in different cities sent us scattering to different points. Amber to California, Sue to Philadelphia, while I stuck around Seattle. But then a funny thing happened…Amber and I remembered that Sue had offered to show us around China. Her brother was living and working there, and she talked about going on a visit. Neither Amber nor I have any issues inviting ourselves to places that seem like fun, and we circled back to Sue. After a few phone calls, plane tickets were bought, and an adventure was on the horizon.
That is where it all began. The three of us headed out on a whirlwind trip to China where we learned new things about each other (Sue speaks Chinese!), the country we were in, and, most importantly, that we travel well together. This started a tradition of meeting up about every year—either overseas or domestically—because planning a trip is just a really good way to make sure three busy people show up somewhere together and catch up. It works just about every time.
We have traveled to Denmark, Russia, Belgium, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Canada, Maine, Ashville, Tempe…the list goes on. We have climbed up the Great Wall in China, had owls perched on our arms in Japan, and dressed like Vikings in Denmark. We’ve met up for long weekends where we currently live in DC, Philly, and Madison. For better or worse, Sue usually controls the playlist on our road trips. Lots of 80s tunes. And covers of 80s tunes. See the pattern?
We have used these trips to catch up and mark important events. We inevitably talk about what our Evans classmates are doing these days. We have celebrated milestone birthdays (40 and 50 both got trips…is 60 next?), new jobs, new family members, and other things worth toasting. Before my daughter was born, Sue bought her a sheep stuffie in Ireland. Eight years later, she still sleeps with that sheep every night.
We’ve also talked each other through the hard stuff — the loss of family, some tough seasons of life, the impossible coworker, career expectations and trajectories, and the stretches at work where you wonder if any of it is worth it. We offer endless support, advice, note Evans management catchphrases and strategies, bounce ideas off each other and pick each other up. Mostly, though, we laugh, enjoy experiences (anything to keep the mood light!), and celebrate this rare friendship we’ve found all while meeting wonderful people and visiting incredible places around the world.
The Evans School taught us public administration — how programs are evaluated, how budgets work, and how to make a real argument with data. The impact of an Evans’ education is profound. It trains you to see the world in an analytical and evidence-based manner and sets you up to make positive changes in the world. But, if I have learned anything in my two-decade career, it is that people that will ground you, support you, and add the most value to your life and career.
Evans pulls together people that share those same values, commitment, and passion for public service. Take advantage of those commonalities to find your people and community. They can provide support, opportunities, and advice that only enhances your Evans education and life. And if you are very lucky, they may also dress up like a Viking with you.
