Hala Mair (BA ’25) was drawn to their field of study out of curiosity about how society functions and evolves.

“Coupled with my passion for advocacy, I saw Political Science as the program to develop this understanding and provide clarity as to where I can see myself tangibly making a difference through policy,” says Mair, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts on Wednesday, June 11 during Brock University’s 117th Convocation.

The new grad, who completed Brock’s Political Science co-op program, has already secured full-time employment with Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation (MTO) following a carefully planned pathway of co-op and courses to support their career goals. They completed three co-op work terms at MTO as part of their degree and landed a summer contract in spring 2023 before completing a fourth work term in Brock’s Co-op office.

Mair says this government experience, paired with their co-op work terms, “could not have been better intertwined” with their course-based learning.

“My co-op experience allowed me to enter into courses with a strong practical understanding of how government operates internally, including decision-making and policy development processes,” they say. “When we examined the theoretical backing of government operations, I was able to contextualize the coursework based on what I had experienced first-hand.”

Mair says refining their ability to “think beyond, and even question, what shows at the surface of an issue” has been a key takeaway from their time at Brock.

“At the Brock Co-op office, I quickly recognized there is no one-size-fits-all solution to any process that is human-centred, such as supporting co-op students,” says Mair. “While at the MTO, I often supported employee engagement workshops that aimed to increase understanding of employee experience — and again, the lack of any standard experience made me really focus on reading between the lines and analyzing the root causes of the issues at hand.”

In their new position at the MTO, Mair works in the Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office of the Transportation Safety Division as a Business Consultant.

“A significant aspect of my role is supporting directors and managers with the development and implementation of various transportation safety policy and program projects,” Mair says. “I would definitely say that my co-op experiences have prepared me, because in my work terms, stakeholder engagement and project planning were always key competencies.”

Mair believes their co-op experiences also helped them develop communication and critical thinking skills, the ability to foster effective collaboration and political acuity, which helps them navigate the work they’ll do moving forward.

The 23-year-old Niagara Falls resident encourages students to think about the future and tailor their course options to their vision.

“If you aren’t sure which courses would be the best aligned with your goals, connect with someone already in the industry or on a similar career path to understand the top skills needed to succeed,” says Mair. “I leveraged this approach several times, choosing courses that touched upon key skills I understood to be relevant for a career in the public service, including stakeholder engagement, policy analysis and strategic thinking.”

Alesia Dane, Associate Director, Co-op and Workplace Partnerships, says it has been a privilege to see Mair’s passion for advocacy and student engagement in action.

“Hala approached every challenge with thoughtfulness, curiosity and a drive to make meaningful impact, qualities that clearly carried through in their work with the Ministry,” says Dane. “Their journey is a powerful example of how co-op can help students clarify their goals, apply learning in workplace contexts and confidently step into their next chapter.”