Hope Tuff-Berg, MPPA
My name is Hope Tuff-Berg (she/her) and before coming to SPPA, I completed a bachelor’s degree in political science from Brock University. During my undergrad, I volunteered for a number of organizations and student governments and became fascinated by how advocacy groups work to affect policy. This piqued my interest for working in public policy at the federal level, to better understand how change occurs through government systems, and achieve that change alongside NGOs and industry experts.
I chose SPPA because it’s the oldest public policy school in the country, has an excellent reputation in the federal public service, practical courses and degree structure, and a welcoming student culture. I found that other schools I applied to couldn’t compete with SPPA in this regard, and I’m happy I chose a school with professors and a student body that are highly supportive of one another to make this challenging program enjoyable.
The coursework in this program has helped me prepare for my work in government by creating group assignments, presentations, and a mix of both short and long policy papers that are similar to the nature of work in government. The co-op program has over 50 policy-related job postings for us to apply to in a variety of federal, provincial and municipal governments, which helped me get my foot in the door in government. This training and co-op helped me get a term and bridgeable position in federal government that I will start after I graduate!
Each student cohort is composed of brilliant people with diverse educational and career backgrounds who become close friends fast. The culture of Ottawa, Carleton and SPPA fosters a collaborative, supportive and fun environment that is hard to find anywhere else. I know I’ll have these friends and fantastic connections long after we graduate!