Karen Taylor - MA in Leadership (MAL)

I work with the federal government regional council, a council of all the senior government officials from Newfoundland and Labrador.

I realized that I might take advantage of job opportunities in the federal government that will be coming up as a result of the retirements over the next five to seven years. Royal Roads University offers an excellent program for mid-career individuals who have jobs that require a significant commitment of time. The two-year program, with the summer residency and with courses throughout the year, makes it a fit for someone who is working at the same time.

My thesis was on increasing learning opportunities in rural communities, called Fishing for Learning: Catching Technology. The two years of preparation really assisted me so that when I got into the thesis I was really well prepared and well positioned. It was a wonderful experience.

I liked the diversity of the cohort I was in. Learners came from Japan, Brazil, Abudabi, and then there was me, from Newfoundland. Interacting with individuals that I would never have had the opportunity to ever meet otherwise really opened a door to the world. It was really a wonderful chance to connect with individuals who shared their ideas about leadership from other countries. I was the only Atlantic Canadian, but it didn’t separate me because we connected as a community and stayed connected.

I work part time for the Canada School of Public Service and I know that the Government of Canada is very committed to creating continuous learning environment for its employees. The things that I have learned over the last two years transfer back into the workplace immediately, and that has been unbelievable.

The Government of Canada works in a competency-based environment and these courses were competency-based, which gave me practical tools to apply in the workplace. So it was wonderful. You couldn’t get any better.

The program, the location, the faculty, you couldn’t have asked for a more conducive learning environment, ideally set for a mid-career professional, and I couldn’t have asked for a better two-year learning journey.