By Mark Campbell

After completing a Bachelor of Biology in Wildlife Conservation, Benjamin MacNeill noticed an interesting phenomenon. The jobs that appealed to him were going to candidates who had master’s degrees in management.

“Some positions required an understanding of how federal regulations work and others required knowledge in managing staff and workloads,” MacNeill says. “I opted for a position as an aquaculture technician, which is not exactly the field where I wanted to be. I realized that if I had a master’s degree in management, it would fill in my knowledge gaps and give me a competitive advantage for the positions that matched my background.”

MacNeill began exploring his options and quickly determined that Dalhousie’s Master of Resource and Environmental Management program would give him that advantage. For one, it offered paid internship opportunities—a rarity among programs. Moreover, it would connect MacNeill to a large network of alumni, which could open doors for him.

“I was also hearing great things from colleagues who had enrolled in the program,” MacNeill says. “They told me they were able to get positions with the federal government, which appealed to me. Their experiences really fueled my favourable impressions of Dalhousie, and it became the only university I applied to.”

A path forward

Much to MacNeill’s delight, he was accepted to the master’s program. But a new challenge emerged: how would he secure the financial support he needed to earn that degree? The answer was the Promise Scholars Program. Created by the Faculty of Management to recruit, retain, support, and graduate more Black and Indigenous students, the program is funded by both Dalhousie alumni and friends and the business community. In addition to financial resources, Dalhousie’s Promise Scholars benefit from work and internship experiences, and from dedicated and personalized academic and career mentoring.

“Promise Scholars was the one opportunity that really spoke to me, and I felt like I had a real chance of success,” says MacNeill, a Metis member of Zone 3 (Kings County), Prince Edward Island. “When I heard that I was going to be receiving support, it was like winning the lottery. If that had not happened, I likely would not be here at Dalhousie.”

Experiential learning, increased skills

MacNeill says his Dalhousie experience has been amazing. He is impressed by the quality of the courses he has taken, the support of his instructors, and the diverse backgrounds of the students he has met, which has opened his eyes to new perspectives and career paths. But it is the experiential learning of the program’s internship opportunities that has been particularly invaluable for him.

“I did my internship with a Halifax consulting firm, which involved working on technical reports and assisting in consultations for highway and mining projects,” MacNeill says. “Because I was enrolled in the Dalhousie program, I also got to take on a team lead position for several weeks, which gave me a better sense as to how much my learning was contributing to my overall skills. I feel much more confident in my abilities now and like I have arrived at the next level of my career.”

Alumni support eases transition to workplace

This, MacNeill says, is where Dalhousie alumni really make a difference for students like him. Through their support of the Faculty of Management, they help create more access to vital experiential learning opportunities that ease the transition from academia into the workplace. The opportunities available to students include internships, case competitions, conferences and other avenues for career-development.

Buoyed by his positive experiences, and knowledge and confidence he has gained through Dalhousie, MacNeill is weighing his post-graduation options. A position with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans would make him happy, as would working with a nongovernment organization such as Ducks Unlimited. But his dream job is to work on Sable Island management plans with Parks Canada.

“Most of those management plans are living documents,” he says. “The thought that I could contribute to something that not only protects and enhances such a unique place but also stands the test of time really excites me.”