1st year

At the beginning of my first year of the BPA program, the School of Public Policy and Administration’s close-knit support network, which includes the faculty, alumni and student association, fosters an environment that ensures student success.

SPPA encouraged us to strive for academic excellence, give back to the community, and step outside our comfort zones through voluntary service. I was honoured to be nominated by SPPA and subsequently awarded the LAPS George Vari Award for Good Citizenship. This recognition stemmed from my contributions as an executive member of the Public Policy and Administration Student Association and as a volunteer Red Cross emergency responder, all while successfully balancing my academic responsibilities throughout my undergraduate studies.

My BPA studies and volunteer experience helped prepare me for a career in public service.  Through experimental education courses like Applied Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation, I worked on real-life problems proposed by partner organizations, like identifying recommendations to improve local public health delivery and evaluating Indigenous affordable housing initiatives. I also completed a practicum course, gaining experience in the operation and challenges of municipal government. With the support of the SPPA community, I built upon those experiences in Ontario Public Service and worked in a part-time student position at Transport Canada during my last year of studies. After I graduated from the BPA program, I was offered a position at Transport Canada as a Junior Program Officer.

Not in my wildest dreams that I would imagine that I would be where I am today without the support of friends that I met through the BPA program and the support of the amazing SPPA faculty and alums.