Student Testimonials
Sonu Kailley, MPP Graduate 2009
The School of Public Policy at Simon Fraser University was a fantastic experience. It has opened numerous doors for me professionally and provided me with the necessary skills to be successful in the workplace. The faculty possess a wealth of information and have valuable contacts across Canada and internationally. The cohort-based program is also great because I got to meet good people who have become life-long friends.
I am currently working in Ottawa for Transport Canada, specifically as a Security Policy Analyst in Air Cargo Security. I work on a wide variety of policy issues concerning the security of air cargo and the development of the actual Air Cargo Security Program. The School of Public Policy is the reason why I got this new and exciting opportunity and I am grateful to have participated in such a comprehensive and highly regarded program.
Jasmine Crane, MPP Graduate 2008
After graduating from the School of Public Policy in 2008, I have been overwhelmed by the number of doors that have opened for me both personally and professionally. Thanks to the amazing support and guidance of the SPP professors and staff, I am now living in Ottawa and thriving as a senior program analyst at the Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada (TBS) working on files pertaining to National Security, Emergency Management, and Public Safety.
While in the midst of the program, I would refer to the program as 'policy boot camp', but I realize now that the program prepared me with a strong understanding of what it is actually like working in the world of public policy. I'm truly proud to be a part of the growing network of MPP Alumni in Ottawa and across Canada.
It has been a wonderful surprise how much the MPP'ers (as we call ourselves) have maintained the close relationships that we formed in the two-years we spent together as a cohort. And to this day, we continue to support one
another as we experience new new levels of success in our careers.
Carey Doberstein, MPP Graduate 2008
A degree from the School of Public Policy at SFU has exceptional currency to public and private employers and academic institutions alike in Canada, which I have learned first-hand since graduating in 2008. This is a testament to the wide range of skills acquired in the program, the relationships one develops with well-connected faculty, and the professional opportunities embedded within the curriculum. The reputation of the program is so strong in Ottawa and the provincial capitals that I secured a permanent position in the BC Public Service before months before I graduated--this is likewise true for many in my cohort who ended up in Ottawa. I spent a (great) year and half in Victoria working on local government finance and urban policy in the Ministry of Community Development before deciding to pursue my PhD in Political Science at the University of Toronto. Though I am one of only a few graduates that returned to academia after completing the degree, my entry into a very competitive doctoral program demonstrates the wide-ranging utility of the degree from the School of Public Policy at SFU.
William Kendall, MPP Graduate 2008
After completing the Master’s of Public Policy (MPP) program in May 2008, Will Kendall began his career with the Financial Sector Policy Branch (FSPB) of the Department of Finance Canada just as the global financial crisis began to take shape in the summer of 2008. During his time with FSPB, Will became increasingly active in the development of legislative reforms to the financial sector, including his lead role in the introduction of federal credit union legislation in Budget 2010.
After three years with FSPB, Will was selected to the prestigious and highly sought-after position of Canada’s Finance Counsellor to the World Trade Organization in September 2011. Working out of the Canadian Mission in Geneva, Switzerland, Will’s current work focuses on multilateral trade issues of interest to both the Departments of Finance and Foreign Affairs and International Trade, including aspects of the ongoing Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations.
Will credits the MPP program with helping him develop many of the skills that have allowed him to achieve a successful and exciting career in the public service. In particular, he credits the MPP with providing the practical knowledge and tools needed to assess and implement complex public policy outcomes, and he strongly encourages potential applicants with an interest in public policy issues to apply to the MPP program at Simon Fraser.
Tom McCarthy, MPP Graduate 2005
My School of Public Policy degree got my career off to a fantastic start, and has kept it moving well beyond my years at SFU.
My co-op position introduced me to Tsawwassen First Nation, a small government with, in my opinion, the most exciting and dynamic policy environment in Canada. It then took me to Ottawa, through a post-graduate internship program where I spent time at Privy Council Office, the Department of Finance, and Treasury Board, learning about the federal government decision-making process. And it ultimately brought me back out to Vancouver and Tsawwassen First Nation, where I am now the Manager of Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs.
The faculty of the SPP are my mentors today, and continue to teach and inspire me throughout the early years of my career. The practical lessons and experience of the instructors was, and continues to be, invaluable. Ultimately, an education is only as valuable as the effort you put into it yourself. But the hallmark of a strong degree program is that it encourages and supports that effort, and challenges you to turn raw effort into learned skills with practical application. If you put the effort into the SPP, the program will make absolutely sure that you thrive, both in school and in your career.