Milana Simikian, MAPA (2012)
I first had the good fortune of meeting Glen during the second year of my undergrad in Public Affairs and Policy Management. He was teaching PAPM 2000, a Policy Analysis course that I remember distinctly because it was my very first introduction to environmental public policy and Glen’s passion for it was contagious. At the time, I was sure that I would be pursuing a career in foreign affairs, but perhaps it was just then that Glen gave me the idea that environmental policy work was a path worth considering.
Fast forward to 2010 and here I was again sitting in Glen’s class, only this time as a MAPA grad student in a room of 6 others looking at a very, very long list of readings on climate change. I remember feeling a bit scared and intimidated by the workload and Glen’s expectations of us, but I was also excited and proud to be part of Glen’s class because I knew that I would learn a great deal. I will admit that I spent more time preparing for Glen’s classes and assignments than I did for any other of my classes. See, Glen has this effect on students. He believes in you before you believe in yourself. He sets the bar high and expects you to shoot even higher. So that’s what I did. I worked hard to make Glen proud and aimed higher than I ever thought I could.
Glen’s another remarkable quality is that when he sees potential and hard work, he rewards it. With me, it was a research assistantship job. For over a year, I got to work directly with Glen, Dr. James Meadowcroft, and a few other grad students on an innovative climate research project sponsored by Carbon Management Canada. Not only did this job take my research and writing skills to the next level, but it had also positioned me to secure a job immediately after graduation at a time when such opportunities were scarce. Glen provided me with a solid reference to help me land that first job. He continued to give me this kind of support as I moved forward in my career.
Glen’s latest contribution to my professional development and career growth was only a couple of years ago. Drawing on his wide network of people, Glen got me in touch with another former MAPA student who is now Assistant Deputy Minister overseeing the implementation of Canada’s climate plan and clean growth. His office was hiring and I was already in a government pool of pre-qualified candidates for a similar position. Timing could not have been more perfect. Thanks to Glen (again!), I now have a dream job for which he made sure I would be well prepared just a few years ago.
Dr. Glen Toner has been instrumental in my professional and personal growth. I could never thank him enough for the continuous support, encouragement, and guidance he has given me and others throughout all those years. I feel incredibly fortunate to have had the opportunity to be his student, his mentee, his staff member, and his friend. I am delighted to see the creation of the Dr. Glen Toner Scholarship fund as it now provides the perfect way for me and others to express our sincere gratitude for Glen’s unparalleled leadership and lasting impact on so many lives.
This reflection on the student experience was offered as part of a fundraising effort for the Dr. Glen Toner Scholarship Fund.