Lilith Smith, MPPA
I am originally from Australia, but I have lived in Canada since I was eight. For the last 13 years, I have lived in Montreal, QC.
My undergraduate degree was in Software Engineering at McGill University. In the last semesters of my degree, I did research on how racial biases are integrated into the design of technology, and I really enjoyed working on it. I graduated during the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to take some time to decide where I would go next. I ended up coming across work in public policy, and I thought that that would nicely combine my interests in technology, racial biases and research.
I am in my first year of the Master of Public Policy and Administration. I chose Carleton University for a variety of reasons. Its location in Canada’s capital made it very appealing for a degree in public policy. I also really liked the diversity of the professors in the SPPA department. Coming from a degree in engineering, diversity is not something I am accustomed to seeing, and I think it is critical to a well-rounded education. I also really like that all the students in the MPPA program have different backgrounds, experiences, ages and interests. The funding and co-op offered with the program also made it a very appealing choice for me.