BA Economics, 2006

What work are you doing now?

I work for Coconino County in Flagstaff, Arizona (a local government agency). I am the Assistant Director for the Facilities Management Department and have held different positions with the County over the past 11 years. Some of the positions were Interim Deputy Director for the Public Works Department, Special Districts Assistant, and Business Manager for the Information Technology Department. My current work focuses on planning and implementing the Facilities Master Plan for the County.

What other positions have you held since graduating?

After graduation, I worked for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) presence in Albania as their Public Information Officer for a just under one year.

What other training have you completed?

I have completed the Master of Public Administration program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona.

How did your degree lead to these activities?

I feel that one of the major contributions of the Economics program at UNBC is the exposure to rigorous critical thinking in assessing different situations. As a student, there is organic growth through the academic program. Exponential growth happens as you face real-world issues and advocate for solutions. The beauty is that the building blocks for the arguments and solutions can always be traced back to my Economics classes at UNBC, the passion of the faculty, discussion with fellow students, and engagement with community members. I credit my capacity in dealing with different issues today to the wide range of courses at UNBC from economic thought, macroeconomics, globalization, to behavioural economics, to name just a few.

How do you use the knowledge acquired through the degree in your job?

A great and rewarding experience in studying Economics was being able to study Economics specifically at UNBC in Prince George. As an international student, my academic growth was coupled with increased cultural awareness during my tenure. Exposure to people from diverse cultural backgrounds was itself a life-learning experience.  Both the academic and cultural experience helped me to develop my emotional intelligence in approaching my commitments and interactions.

What do you really enjoy about economics?

Economics exposes you to a way of thinking about the wants and needs of a myriad of players and everyday issues they face. I enjoyed studying Economics because the framework it provides can be used to critically assess most challenges and opportunities people face.

Why would you recommend the Economics program at UNBC to potential students?

Economics at UNBC is a great program. First, the meaningful interactions and discussions with faculty and students in the program build a community of learners inside the University. The power of that community of learners expands beyond the campus to create connections on a global scale. I believe the Economics program at UNBC provides a rich environment to enable those interactions.