Katelyn Kornelsen: Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (BPAPM)

As Katelyn Kornelsen thought about her future, she knew she was interested in serving the community.

But she didn’t know what options were out there.

So she chose the social policy specialization of the Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management (BPAPM) degree.

“It’s so interdisciplinary that there’s a lot of room for your education to be focused in many different directions,” says Katelyn, who is the third member of her family to earn a BPAPM degree. “In the end, I became fascinated by the criminal justice system and focused on law, sociology and how social issues can manifest into crime.”

At the same time, Katelyn says the policy perspective offered by BPAPM helped put these issues in a broader context.

“We did site visits where we could talk to employees and see policy in action.” She mentions a visit to a low-income housing site and Ottawa Public Health. “An important part of the BPAPM degree is considering the implementation and evaluation of policy.”

Next year, Katelyn is continuing a contract with Public Services and Procurement Canada, which began this year through the Federal Student Work Experience Program. (FSWEP)

She’s not yet sure what direction she will choose, with the public service, social services, and politics all on the table. But her goal is the same as when she began—to serve her community.