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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 lookout聽for the right program to get her there. She found it in Dalhousie鈥檚 Master of Public Administration (Management).聽

By the time she started聽the program, Daradics was already well on her way to accomplishing聽her early聽career goals. A naval reservist since high school, she completed her聽bachelor鈥檚 degree in 2010 in political science at Carleton University, then landed her first job working for聽the聽Canada Border Services聽Agency聽in Ottawa聽as a program officer. From there she moved聽to聽Transport Canada as a Maritime Security Analyst, then聽on to Public Safety Canada as聽a program officer.聽She also moved back to the Vancouver area.

Today she鈥檚 returned to Transport Canada as Emergency Management Program Manager, where she is聽responsible for emergency management training, preparedness and聽response聽for Canada鈥檚 Pacific region.聽It鈥檚 a job she loves in a setting that suits her. 鈥淚'm a very passionate federal government employee. I enjoy going to work every day probably because I'm a problem solver,鈥� says聽Daradics.聽

Given her commitment to public service, choosing a master鈥檚聽program that聽was聽familiar to those聽in her field was important. 鈥淚 chose聽Dalhousie聽because it was a good fit for working full time, and聽because it was a program recognized as being very suitable for federal government employees.鈥澛燚aradics began聽her program in 2017,聽and聽says she鈥檚 liked the flexibility of blended learning to balance her busy work life, along with her family (she has a one-year-old聽and聽two step-children aged聽9聽and聽13) and her responsibilities as an active naval reservist serving in middle management.聽

Daradics says her favourite courses have included Intergovernmental Relations, Strategic聽Management in the Public Sector and Policy Formulation and Analysis;聽she liked the balance of academic and theoretical.聽鈥淭he instructors did聽such a great job of balancing academics, postgraduate education and聽the聽public service,鈥� says Daradics.聽She points to one of her favourite professors, Lori Turnbull, as someone who聽brings聽examples of聽problems聽she鈥檇聽encounter on the job聽for students to dig into.聽鈥淚f you're really passionate about your work,聽it鈥檚 a聽joy to be in the classroom working聽under her because you feel like you're just trying to solve the problem of the day,鈥� says Daradics.

Daradics also liked the flexibility to work on assignments that related directly to her own work.聽For聽example,聽in an elective course she took through the MBA program last term, she wrote a paper on change management in her current organization. She鈥檚 since聽referenced聽the paper聽in meetings when the topic has come up. Finally, she enjoyed the聽face-to-face聽intensive聽component聽of the program, despite attending only one in Halifax (she turned the opportunity into a short vacation with her mother in the summer), and the others聽in Alberta聽and聽Ottawa where she combined them with work trips.聽鈥淭hey聽were very rewarding times,聽especially some of the intensives聽when I've walked away thinking,聽鈥榳ow, that was聽such an engaging conversation.鈥櫬燛veryone in the room cares so much about government,鈥� recalls Daradics.

Now that she has聽graduated, Daradics聽is聽already recommending聽the program聽to others.聽鈥淚've had a few colleagues investigate whether this program was suitable for them.聽I tell them I聽felt like it was worth my time and brought me benefit.聽This program provides you with a really in-depth understanding,聽from an academic perspective,聽of聽the way the federal government in Canada works,鈥� says Daradics. 鈥淓specially if you're at the management level, you don't always have the time to understand the way the government is supposed to run.聽In an academic setting, you get the opportunity to really understand from a theoretical perspective the way it's supposed to work.

While she鈥檚 glad to wrap up聽one element in her busy life,聽Daradics聽says the聽benefits are worth the聽balancing. 鈥淚f you can聽juggle it all and prioritize the workload, it is really rewarding at the end that you've accomplished something聽even as you are working on聽your career.鈥澛犅�