Bachelor of Public Administration - Law, Justice and Public Policy & Director of Student Engagement for the PPASA (2020-2021)

My name is Jamilah Reeves and I am a proud member of the Jamaican Diaspora. I am pursuing the Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA) specializing in Law, Justice and Public Policy and Fall 2021 –Winter 2022 will be my final year. I chose this program because of my interest in law and how it affects policy. My lifetime goal is to be the change that I want to see. This means that if I want to change law/policy, I must first understand how they work. By understanding law and how it relates to policy, I can then work towards change.

I did not start my post-secondary learning in this program. I was in my second year when I made the switch to the BPA. I realized that the program I was in was not the right fit for me. I was not happy. I was browsing for potential courses to take and I discovered AP/PPAS 2195 3.0 – Professional Skills and Communication. This course changed my life!

As the course title implies, it taught me the importance of professional development as well as personal development. I learned how to build my communication skills as I was taught the importance of networking with people. Building connections, spreading knowledge and engaging with your peers is an important life skill regardless of your program. I would recommend this course to any and everyone!

The School of Public Policy and Administration (SPPA) represents more than just a discipline, it also acts as a community. When I started my post-secondary education, I was under the impression that I was alone, that it’s ‘every man for themselves'. As a proud student in the SPPA, I can say that we build each other up. Every student, faculty member and alumni have some sort of knowledge, experience and/or support to offer. I joined the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA) to further take advantage of the support system available within the School. I am the PPASA Director of Student Engagement for 2020-2021 and I work towards bringing more people to the PPASA as well as the School. My goal is to introduce more people to the School of Public Policy and Administration so that they can have a wonderful experience as well.