People of IWU: ‘91 alum inspires careers in public service

On March 1, Dr. Ed Pacchetti became the second annual participant in the Gebhardt speaker series with his presentation “Doing Well and Doing Good – A Career in Public Service.” 

Pacchetti, who grew up in Coal City, graduated from IWU in 1991 with a degree in psychology and a minor in political science. 

After his time at IWU, he earned his Masters Degree in public administration from George Washington University and his PhD in General Policy from the University of Maryland. He is also a member of the Illinois Wesleyan Alumni Board. 

During his presentation, Pacchetti detailed many experiences in his life including the three years he spent in between his first two degrees as a residence hall director at IWU, having his masters degree paid for, his love for D.C., his time at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and his many years in the Federal Student Aid Program at the Department of Education.  

If you weren’t able to make his presentation, Dr. Pacchetti revealed the tricks of his trade to persuade his audience, composed of majors ranging from political science and psychology to accounting and creative writing, to pursue a career with the Federal Government. Dr. Pacchetti even asked everyone in the audience, based on their major, if they thought there would be a place in the Federal Government for them and gave examples of possible careers to naysayers. “I truly do believe the Federal Government offers something for everybody.”

So what should you do if you want to obtain a career with the Fed? According to Dr. Pacchetti, you first have to create a profile and file a job application through usajobs.gov. After applying, you then have to make the “certified list” – the gateway to the government. This is a list of candidates that have been “verified” based on key words in the job description matching with the same exact words in the applicant’s resume. If you’re not sure how to identify key words, Dr. Pacchetti recommends visiting the Career Center. 

Upon making the certified list, you will interview, potentially be hired, and withstand one year of “probation” until you are fully a part of the government. In his opinion, everyone should pursue a career with the Fed because of the benefits, such as good health insurance and a penitent scaled to inflation, the ability to make life-long friends, and the ability to become upwardly mobile in your job and salary.

During the Q&A portion, Pacchetti also discussed having to, on occasion, know how to propose certain ideas based on the political climate: “You can find good people if you look for them, in some administrations you just have to look harder.” Additionally, he discussed the problem of student loans and accrediting boards.

Dr. Pacchetti ended his speech with a quote from the former President of IWU, Minor Myers, which I believe really encompasses the spirit of public service and living a well rounded life: “Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.” 

As for the good Pacchetti has done in his time with the Federal Government and the Department of Education, is inspiring. While he worked for the Gates Foundation, Pacchetti drew up a plan to shorten the FAFSA questionnaire and help make it less of a hurdle for students seeking aid. In 2016, by moving the opening of the FAFSA application from January back to October, he helped 2.2 million more low income students get federal aid for college. Additionally, Ed initiated the reduction of the verification process of the FAFSA – which helped over 300,000 more students make it to college. 

Pacchietti’s work for the Department of Education and the Federal Government has assisted thousands of students in making an education financially possible, paving a path for success in future endeavors. His dedication to student achievement emphasizes the importance of a college education, and the necessity of affordable options in order to achieve a college degree.