Master of Political Management Student Leonard Johnston Takes Riddell Program Experience to Washington D.C.
By the time Leonard Johnston had arrived at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa as a representative for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, he already had a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Terrorism from Norwich University in Vermont.
But Johnston felt there was more to learn—specifically as an American working in Canada.
“I wanted a better grasp on the Canadian paradigm in regards to Canada-U.S. relations,” explains Johnston, who grew up in the border town of Massena, New York. “My goal is to bring the Canadian perspective into our discussions about immigration, border security, and trade.”
Johnston began classes at Carleton and eventually enrolled in the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management. In particular, he enjoyed the course on Canada-U.S. relations taught by Stephen Azzi, an associate professor in the MPM program.
“I absolutely loved it. I’m a moderate Republican and everyone in the class was from different parties: Liberal, Conservative, NDP and Green. Those discussions affected my own perspective,” says Johnston. “We were all there because we want to be effective public servants, regardless of our politics.”
Johnston says the ability to dialogue with Canadian professionals in the MPM program and learn about the Canadian system of government will be invaluable to him as he moves into his new position as the Assistant Chief of the Intelligence Division of the U.S. Border Patrol in Washington D.C.
“This was an experience you can’t get in any other city in Canada. Ottawa is ground zero for government studies and Carleton University was a fantastic place to tap into those political resources,” says Johnston.
Johnston plans to finish his degree at George Washington University in Washington D.C., at the program that served as the model for the Clayton H. Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management.
