Tell us about your journey since graduating from ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ
I returned to my home in Melbourne, Australia in late January 2020 - about 8 weeks before COVID turned the world upside-down. When I left London, one of the commitments I made to myself was to find a role that kept me connected to other parts of the world because one of the things that I loved most at ½ûÂþÌìÌà was the global nature of the cohort and the different perspectives people were able to offer, based on their unique contexts and perspectives. So in March 2020, I joined the , which already had established teams in Europe and the US, to build a presence in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
How has studying in the Department of Government helped you since graduation?
Having a strong grounding in the theory of public policy and administration - in particular the tenets of New Public Management - has been very helpful in my current role.
What’s the main thing you gained from studying at ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ’s Department of Government?
I think the main thing that I gained from my Masters was the importance of critical thinking and the confidence to form my own views and arguments. I really appreciated how we were encouraged to not just understand, interpret and apply existing theory; but rather, to interrogate it, and form our own views and argue a position. This was quite different to my undergraduate study, and is a skill that feels invaluable in many different contexts.
What’s been the highlight of your career so far?/What is your greatest achievement to date?
The highlight of my career was receiving an email from a public servant letting me know that she had finally taken a leap and moved into the public service role she had always wanted (but had been too apprehensive to pursue) as a result of attending a series of webinars that we hosted with the Australia and New Zealand School of Government about “reimagining government.” It felt like such a tangible expression of the change we’re hoping to inspire in public servants across the world.
What is your fondest memory from ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ?
The wonderful friends I made.
What was your favourite course whilst studying at ½ûÂþÌìÌÃ?
Funnily enough, I really ended up enjoying statistics (after being completely terrified at the thought of it, having stopped all maths-related subjects in Year 10). But, without question, I learned most through my dissertation, which focused on social workers (street-level bureaucrats) who were working with AI tools to support their decision making about at-risk children. Through this research I was exposed to such challenging and complex debates and it was truly a privilege to have the time and space to explore a topic so deeply. The most amazing thing, too, was that , with the support and encouragement of my supervisor, Dr Dan Berliner.