Meet Bill Jarratt

A day in the life

Meet Bill Jarratt

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Arriving in Halifax for each of the 2 ½ day intensive sessions, I felt a strong sense of being a member of a team that was truly dedicated to this learning opportunity.

The challenge…

In the fall of 2012, while preparing our departmental 2013 annual staff training budget, I was asked by my supervisor what type of professional development I was interested in, and when I indicated that the MPA(M) program at Dalhousie University looked very interesting, his response was positive. However, the offer of support did not come without a challenge. My boss looked me in the eye, and said he would support my enrollment in the program as long as I agreed to complete it. I accepted this challenge, and subsequently started the MPA(M) program in the fall of 2013, and now, graduating in the fall of 2017 on the convocation day of October 2nd.

The balancing act…

What was I thinking! I’m in my late 40’s, I have a fulltime job as a senior manager in a local government organization, and more importantly a family of four including my wonderful wife, two step-children in middle level and high school, and a very active boy in elementary school. Life was certainly challenging enough, and very busy with family activities and work priorities. I thought to myself, how could I possibly fit in the commitment required to complete a graduate level degree program?

Early mornings…

With evenings filled with judo, hockey and basketball practices and games, housework, work meetings etc., the only quality time that I could find in the day to focus on the many readings, discussion board postings and research was between 5:00 and 7:00 am. My path was simply to take one course in each of the three terms, and once the early morning routine started I discovered that I could indeed stay ahead of the material and submission deadlines.

Teaching, support and teamwork…

One thing that I have grown to appreciate is the excellent level of teaching, and CFAME administrative support that I have had the opportunity to experience these past four years, in every course completed. Despite the distance between my home in New Brunswick and the campus, I have consistently felt that the professors and office staff made the quest to enhance my learning experience a priority. Plus, I quickly came to realize that the majority of courses included a significant amount of student group work that mirrors the experiences each one of us had in our careers. Arriving in Halifax for each of the 2 ½ day intensive sessions, I felt a strong sense of being a member of a team that was truly dedicated to this learning opportunity.

Dal and our family connection…

Dalhousie University has been, and is a source of higher education for my family as well. My sister graduated from Dal, and my nephew is currently enrolled. And now I can proudly say I am a graduate of this wonderful academic institution.

Congratulations to my fellow fall 2017 graduates, well done!