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

I have always had a passion for politics and law, the intricate relationship of these two fields is constantly in our news and is an essential aspect of our lives. I wanted to study the dilemmas our country faces and the compromises our government develops to resolve these issues, all while balancing the principles of our legal system. I was in Political Science for my first year at York, however I did not enjoy the content, there was quite a bit of theory and no practical application. I wanted to learn about how a real government operates when having to balance scarcity, not how it ought to operate in a perfect environment.

Thus a very close friend of mine recommended Public Policy and Administration; at first I was very hesitant as I was scared of the transition process. I went with my gut and luckily everything fit into the requirements perfectly. I am completing both my first and second year classes this year and will be declaring my stream by the end of the semester. The ability to specialize in a stream is an amazing addition to any degree and it allows one to pursue a specific field of interest. I have greatly enjoyed my classes: AP/PPAS 1110 3.0 Introduction to Public Administration with Professor Karimi was a great introductory class and his lecture style is very simple as he ensures that everyone is confident with the content. AP/PPAS 2195 3.0 Professional Skills and Communication was another great class which helped develop my presentation and professional skills. It was taught by Professor Constantinou who constantly engaged the class during lectures. My academic experience has been very rewarding in the little time I have been a BPA student.

Another great part of my life has been the Public Policy and Administration Student Association (PPASA), which I was almost instantly hooked to. I wanted to get more out of my degree than just knowledge; I aimed to make friends, develop my character and build a network. So I went to the Fall Meet and Greet and I asked several PPASA Executive Members what I could do to get involved. I was happy to hear about the volunteering opportunities and soon I had the position of Junior Ambassador for PPASA. I am a liaison between our club and the lower-year students, I market our events and promote the PPASA mantra to everyone I meet. I enjoy tabling for our events and regularly meeting new people at the events we host.

The Student Association has provided me with so many opportunities to grow internally as well as learn from my mistakes. I thank myself everyday for making the decision to take a leap of faith because it has already paid off and I still have two more years to go. I have made strong friendships and even better is the fact that several Professors actually know me by name now.

I would like to encourage every student to take the extra step by getting involved, coming to events and mingling with the alumni, professors and public sector workers. Our Professors have decades of experience and each has a vast amount of knowledge, not to mention they could help you land a job one day. I truly appreciate the platform provided to present myself and hope to see many new faces at our upcoming events! -Sukhpreet Singh