Success stories

After completing her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Health Studies at McMaster University, Khanh Dang wasn’t exactly sure which career to pursue, but she knew she was interested in health policy.

“I knew that I wanted to be in an industry where I could positively impact others and contribute to my community,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to be able to participate in and influence the design of our communities and structure of our systems.”

Khanh was drawn to Waterloo’s Master of Public Service program because it allows students to explore their interests in a variety of sectors, whether it be in education, environmental sciences or health, while learning hands-on practical skills. “The program was the perfect mix between theoretical-based learning, drawing on the fundamentals of Canadian public administration and the policymaking process, to project management and economic-based scenarios we would find ourselves facing in the public sector.”

Co-op was another big draw of the program. For her work term in 2013, Khanh was a health promotion assistant within the Region of Peel Public Health department for nine months and has continued working at the Region ever since. In 2014, she became a health promoter in the Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention division and, last year, became a research and policy analyst supporting the Long Term Care department. With her multidisciplinary team, she provides direction and support to all five of the Region’s long term care homes, ensuring programs and services are guided by evidence and best practices.

Through her work, Khanh hopes to be able to support the Region deliver health services across the continuum of care, towards a more integrated health system. “My role is to encourage collaboration with health system partners such as those at the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care, our Local Health Integration Networks, hospitals, clinicians, and research and academic institutions,” she says. “I can support this by contributing to research, evidence-based practice, and  knowledge sharing across the seniors’ care sector."

When she joined the Region of Peel, she was excited to see the culture of learning and range of opportunities available to staff. “One of the things I love the most about working for the Region of Peel is the opportunity to grow,” she says. “The Region delivers a wide range of programs and services for residents and clients of Peel, supported by dedicated staff, there are many opportunities to learn and become involved in different areas of this organization.”

Since 2011, students from various MPS cohorts have earned continued success working at the Department of Canadian Heritage. Starting their career journeys as co-op students, these MPSers gathered top-notch policy experience that helped them acquire post-graduation employment with the federal public service.

Canadian Heritage supports programs and provides policy advice on culture, arts, sport, copyright regime, and official languages through direct and indirect initiatives. The books we read, music we listen to, and the movies, television shows, and sports that we watch are all impacted by this department.

“The knowledge gained from uWaterloo’s MPS program helped them understand the work that needed to be done more quickly,” says Karyn Wichers, Manager of Policy and Research at Sport Canada, who has hired two MPS graduates and is impressed with their knowledge of the public service. “They are good team players. It is important that we are able to work well together and create a pleasant environment.”

Myriam Brochu, Manager of Film and Video Policies and Programs, agrees that MPS students demonstrate an advantage during the interview process. “Maturity, knowledge, experience and skills were the reasons for our decision,” she says and adds that “they also demonstrated their curiosity to learn and explore new avenues, as well as a sense of initiative.”

With the creative Waterloo spirit, our MPS alumni have expressed their fondness of the department’s diverse portfolio and atmosphere, which is reflected in the work that they do.

Keith Chau, Policy Analyst, Copyright and International Trade Policy, MPS 2013

Keith’s previous nonprofit experience working with at-risk youth in arts and cultural programs sparked his interest in contributing to the department. “I was able to see that arts and culture can provide a tangible purpose of employment for youth and are important aspects of the Canadian identity.”

Keith presently works on copyright policy development in anticipation of the five-year review of the Copyright Act, and took part in the legislative process that passed the Copyright Modernization Act, which brought Canada in line with today’s technological changes. He also conducts economic research for senior management on various domestic and international copyright issues. In addition to his regular work, Keith is responsible for the bilingual public correspondence portfolio. “I get to respond to Canadians on a daily basis regarding copyright. Knowing that you are able to directly assist them is a good feeling and the reason why I entered the public service.”

Ashish Sharma, Student Data Analyst, Periodical Publishing Policy, MPS 2014

Combining his background in Business Administration, and the skills learned from the MPS program, Ashish was able to evaluate federal programs that affect the cultural sector of the economy. “Supporting cultural industries provides economic value in addition to the social benefits we tend to consider.”

Ashish provided statistical analysis for the Canada Periodical Fund which financially assists Canadian print magazines, non-daily newspapers and digital periodicals. “One of the most rewarding experiences was my presentation of the annual report. My work helped senior management make decisions about how to continue providing value for tax-payers’ money.”