Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) Spec. Honours and Junior Ambassador for Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA)

My name is Vinita Kalia and I am currently in my first year at York University, studying Public Administration. Throughout high school, I was constantly experimenting with different subjects in pursuit of a field that satisfied my intellectual needs. However, I was never completely certain and satisfied with what I wanted to pursue. During my senior year, I continued to face difficulties in choosing a postsecondary program that was right for me. However, after talking to many university graduates, I was convinced. In particular, my cousin, Shikha Sudhir, shared her experience of pursuing a master’s degree in Public Service and something clicked! She slowly became my mentor and inspired me to pursue a career in Public Administration. After all, I knew that helping individuals was important to me and so, a future in public administration seemed like the best fit for me.

Fast forward to September, I attended York’s orientation session where Professor Kimakova provided a thorough presentation about the program and its outlook. I met the amazing executive members of the Public Policy and Administration Student Association and I became aware of how I could get involved. During my first week at York, I realized that there were two ways the rest of my school year would go: I could either strictly go to class or, I could become involved with the program and make close connections with my fellow classmates. I chose the latter! Soon enough, I became a Junior Ambassador which has already opened many opportunities in my first year at York. I have gotten the opportunity to meet amazing professors who are very passionate about the program. I have also been able to attend various networking events and tabling sessions.

Becoming involved has allowed me to gain experience and knowledge about the field, which the confines of my textbooks cannot offer. I have finally found my passion and I am very excited for what the next few years entail! - Vinita Kalia