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Patrick Visintini (L) with co-presenters at the Atlantic Conference on Public Administration

IPAC, ACPA, DAGS, SPA, ACOA, MPA. These acronyms represent the last few years for Patrick Visintini, who will receive his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree this month from the School of Public Administration (SPA).

Visintini, who hails from Oakville, Ontario, learned about the MPA program during his undergraduate degree while he was putting together applications for law school. “My sister lives in Halifax and did her graduate studies at Dalhousie, and had lots of great things to say about it,” says Visintini. “I came to visit Halifax in 2011 and was convinced I needed to spend some time out here.” Visintini’s undergraduate degree in criminal justice and public policy prepared him well for the MPA program, during which he explored his interests in harm reduction, restorative justice, gender equity policies and experiential learning.

 “There were countless opportunities to get involved in the university, community and professional circles,” Visintini says of the MPA. “I had a paid internship with the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency [ACOA], after which they decided to hire me back. I have stayed on now for another year and a half, which has been a great experience.” Visintini appreciates the mix of theoretical and professional education offered by the MPA: “Completing real projects for external partners for credit added an element of reality to the degree that I really appreciated.”

Visintini’s eagerness for practical experience led him to participate in the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) Case Competition, which he says defined his first year in the program in many ways. He traveled to Queen’s University for the competition. “Our team learned a lot about the relationship between Canadian governments and Indigenous peoples in Canada,” says Visintini. “I have a feeling this will influence my choice of career later in life.” In 2015, Dalhousie hosted the competition, and Visintini volunteered as a team guide.

Visintini has also been active with the Atlantic Conference on Public Administration (ACPA). Organized by Public Administration students, ACPA hosts participants from the public and private sectors across the Atlantic Provinces. Visintini has fundraised for ACPA, and acted as master of ceremonies for the last three events. He has also worked with the Dalhousie Association of Graduate Students (DAGS), including as VP External Advocacy, an elected role that involved representing graduate students on the Dalhousie Student Union. This position allowed him to use his education practically. “I learned a lot about how organizations are governed from the inside out,” he explains. With all of these activities, Visintini still managed to play on intramural sports teams.

Visintini is still working for ACOA, and is also working with Faculty of Management professor David Stuewe on incorporating experiential learning into Commerce and MBA courses in the Rowe School of Business. He will be attending law school at McGill University in the fall, where he will continue to pursue interests in public policy and education. Through practising law or public policy in the future, Visintini will continue to put his learning into practice.