Anya Daradics has long known that she wanted to work for the federal government, and eventually in management. No surprise then that such a goal-oriented person was on the lookoutfor the right program to get her there. She found it in ɫֱ’s Master of Public Administration (Management).
By the time she startedthe program, Daradics was already well on her way to accomplishingher earlycareer goals. A naval reservist since high school, she completed herbachelor’s degree in 2010 in political science at Carleton University, then landed her first job working fortheCanada Border ServicesAgencyin Ottawaas a program officer. From there she movedtoTransport Canada as a Maritime Security Analyst, thenon to Public Safety Canada asa program officer.She also moved back to the Vancouver area.
Today she’s returned to Transport Canada as Emergency Management Program Manager, where she isresponsible for emergency management training, preparedness andresponsefor Canada’s Pacific region.It’s a job she loves in a setting that suits her. “I'm a very passionate federal government employee. I enjoy going to work every day probably because I'm a problem solver,” saysDaradics.
Given her commitment to public service, choosing a master’sprogram thatwasfamiliar to thosein her field was important. “I choseɫֱbecause it was a good fit for working full time, andbecause it was a program recognized as being very suitable for federal government employees.”Daradics beganher program in 2017,andsays she’s liked the flexibility of blended learning to balance her busy work life, along with her family (she has a one-year-oldandtwo step-children aged9and13) and her responsibilities as an active naval reservist serving in middle management.
Daradics says her favourite courses have included Intergovernmental Relations, StrategicManagement in the Public Sector and Policy Formulation and Analysis;she liked the balance of academic and theoretical.“The instructors didsuch a great job of balancing academics, postgraduate education andthepublic service,” says Daradics.She points to one of her favourite professors, Lori Turnbull, as someone whobringsexamples ofproblemsshe’dencounter on the jobfor students to dig into.“If you're really passionate about your work,it’s ajoy to be in the classroom workingunder her because you feel like you're just trying to solve the problem of the day,” says Daradics.
Daradics also liked the flexibility to work on assignments that related directly to her own work.Forexample,in an elective course she took through the MBA program last term, she wrote a paper on change management in her current organization. She’s sincereferencedthe paperin meetings when the topic has come up. Finally, she enjoyed theface-to-faceintensivecomponentof the program, despite attending only one in Halifax (she turned the opportunity into a short vacation with her mother in the summer), and the othersin AlbertaandOttawa where she combined them with work trips.“Theywere very rewarding times,especially some of the intensiveswhen I've walked away thinking,‘wow, that wassuch an engaging conversation.’Everyone in the room cares so much about government,” recalls Daradics.
Now that she hasgraduated, Daradicsisalready recommendingthe programto others.“I've had a few colleagues investigate whether this program was suitable for them.I tell them Ifelt like it was worth my time and brought me benefit.This program provides you with a really in-depth understanding,from an academic perspective,ofthe way the federal government in Canada works,” says Daradics. “Especially if you're at the management level, you don't always have the time to understand the way the government is supposed to run.In an academic setting, you get the opportunity to really understand from a theoretical perspective the way it's supposed to work.
While she’s glad to wrap upone element in her busy life,Daradicssays thebenefits are worth thebalancing. “If you canjuggle it all and prioritize the workload, it is really rewarding at the end that you've accomplished somethingeven as you are working onyour career.”
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