Let’s Meet an UCalgary Political Science Alumni: Jenn Galandy!

Jenn Galandy graduated with a BA from the UCalgary Dept. of Political Science in 2016

Can you tell us a little bit about how you decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in Political Science?  

I did not originally plan to major in Political Science. I first started out in the sciences, thinking I wanted to go to medical school. After my first year, I quickly realized that science was not the path for me! So, I decided to take a variety of courses for my second year, one of them being an introductory political science course. I had always been interested in discussing political and world events, but never considered studying it. I took one of Dr. Mark Baron’s intro courses and loved it! I immediately decided to switch to a degree in Political Science.  

Where has your BA in Political Science taken you now?  

Completing my degree in Political Science at the University of Calgary didn’t just allow me to learn about political issues and theories, it also allowed me to network with political organizations, international policy experts, and local politicians. All of which helped me advance my career in public policy. After my degree, I was able to utilize some of those local networks to gain experience with a political party in Alberta for roughly three years, before making my way to Ottawa to work for a local Member of Parliament.  

After working in the political scene for a few years, I decided to go abroad and study international policy, completing my Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Nottingham. This eventually led me to work for the UK Government on Brexit policy and as the UK Delegate for the Council of Europe! This allowed me to travel around Europe to represent the UK at different European conferences.  

I honestly would not have been able to do this—or even see this as a viable career—without the support and encouragement from the Department of Political Science so many years back.  

Do you have any words of advice for those considering the University of Calgary and specifically the Department of Political Science for post-secondary education?  

Honestly, I loved my degree and would love to relive it again. I enjoyed being a student because I love learning and discussing different viewpoints. I found the professors at the University of Calgary to be very considerate of different ways of thinking, encouraging students to consider perspectives other than their own.   

I think the most valuable part of my degree was the people I met in class and the networking opportunities that came from it. Some of my classmates now work for Border Control, as advisors in federal politics, or are running/have run as local candidates in Alberta. It is so cool to look back and see how far we all have come! So, if I could recommend one thing it would be to stay in touch with your classmates and professors, you never know if one of them will be the next Prime Minister! And partake in campus clubs, like the Political Science Association and Model UN—I built lifelong friendships from those groups.  

Thanks for sharing Jenn Galandy!