The Diverse Career Paths of EDST Alumni initiative has released its final report. This report presents the findings of a study conducted as part of the initiative, which surveyed 289 EDST alumni participants across four graduate degrees (PhD, EdD, MA, & MEd) who graduated from 1968 to 2020. The report provides insights into where EDST alumni work, how the EDST programs supported them in their diverse careers, and what recommendations they have for the department and faculty.
We cordially invite you to browse the full report or read the executive summary.
The Diverse Career Paths of EDST Alumni is a two-year student-led initiative which drew on EDST alumni’s career experiences to support graduate students in exploring diverse career pathways across sectors, degrees and program areas. Through this initiative, we organized multiple events, created resources, and surveyed EDST alumni from the 1960s to 2020s regarding their work and how their programs made a difference in their careers. We invite you to browse some of our resources below.
What is Career Diversity and why is it important?
Speakers from the Diverse Careers Paths of Educational Studies Alumni initiative and beyond share their perspectives.
During UBC Homecoming, on September 24, 2022, we celebrated the end of our initiative. Susan Porter, Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies Dean & Vice-Provost; Jan Hare, Faculty of Education Dean pro tem; André Mazawi, Educational Studies Department Head; Mary Kostandy, Initiative Lead; and Dipo Ogunfeibo, Initiative team member, shared their lessons learnt and vision moving forward. Watch a recording of the speeches below or learn more about our final event Looking Back, Moving Forward.
Our Team
To connect with Jacqui and Danielle or to learn about their work visit Graduate Professional Development or Career Resources for Graduate Students.
Our Story
For over two years Mary Kostandy served as a Peer Advisor in EDST. During this time, the Peer Advisors collected feedback from a diverse group of EDST students. These students expressed a desire for guidance regarding the possible career paths available to them upon completing their degree, particularly outside of academia. She also encountered similar feedback from prospective students who were inquiring as to where graduates from particular programs work. She shared student feedback with the Department – it was strongly encouraged that the Peer Advisors engage EDST alumni to better understand their career experiences.
Building on this feedback, the Peer Advisors organized the first iteration of Career Connections Day, which brings together EDST alumni and graduate students in conversations about their career paths and experiences. In preparation for this event, Mary sought advice from Danielle Barkley (the Centre for Student Involvement & Careers), Jacqui Brinkmann (Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies), Yvonne Dawydiak (Professional Development & Community Engagement), Michael Murphy (Alumni Engagement office), several EDST faculty members and the Department Head.
Mary built on this momentum and networks created by engaging with EDST Faculty members (André Mazawi, Alison Taylor, & Jude Walker) and Michael Murphy (Alumni Engagement office); together, they put forward two funding proposals to support this work.
EDST Alumni Survey
The EDST alumni survey was administered in Spring of 2021. The purpose of the survey is to:
- Learn about EDST alumni’s career paths.
- Invite EDST alumni to sign up for possible events and activities to support graduate students in their career explorations.
- Provide feedback to the EDST program(s) about the impact of the EDSTs degrees on alumni’s careers.
We are currently working on the data analysis. We aim to have a report ready by Fall 2022.
Resources
EDST Alumni Profiles 
- EDST alumni are invited to share their bios on a new EDST alumni profiles section.
- The alumni profiles can be filtered by degree, concentration and work sector. The degree and concentration make it easier for current and prospective students to learn about alumni from their program area. The sector filter makes it easier for graduate students to learn about the career paths of alumni in relation to particular career interests.
- Are you an EDST alum interested in sharing your profile? Kindly email: education.alumni@ubc.ca
Alumni Stories (Summer 2022)
- EDST Alumni are invited to respond to written reflective questions about their careers. The aim of the questions is to learn more about their work, their career journey and the relevance of the EDST program to their career path.
- Are you an EDST alum interested in responding to reflective questions about your career? Kindly email: edst.diversecareers@ubc.ca
Events
Spotlight on Alumni Careers Panels Series
- Spotlight on Alumni Careers: Educational Studies Alumni in Higher Education Pathways Beyond the Professoriate. What careers exist in the post-secondary institutions beyond faculty tenure-track positions? Many! In this panel, we will hear from EDST alumni taking on diverse roles across the academic realm.
- Date: Thursday, February 3rd, 2022
- Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM PST
- Speakers:
- Introductory remarks:
- Dr. Jude Walker, PhD’11
Co-investigator: Associate Professor, EDST, UBC
- Dr. Jude Walker, PhD’11
- The panelists:
- Dr. Carrie Hunter, PhD’13
Curriculum Consultant, Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology, UBC - Christine Klaray, MEd’16
Director, Student Services, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, UBC - Darran Fernandez, MEd’10
University Registrar, York University - Dr. Maryam Nabavi, PhD’12
Faculty & Staff Strategist, Equity and Inclusion Office, UBC - Dr. Neila Miled, MA’12, PhD’20
Anti-racism Advisor at the Faculty of Medicine, UBC
- Dr. Carrie Hunter, PhD’13
- Moderator:
- Danielle Barkley, PhD
Career Educator, the Centre for Student Involvement and Careers, UBC
- Danielle Barkley, PhD
- Introductory remarks:
- Event details
- Spotlight on Alumni Careers: Educational Studies Alumni in the Public Sector. Whether in the municipal or tribal government, the Police department or the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, Educational Studies (EDST) alumni have gone on to seemingly every area of public service. In this panel, we will hear from EDST alumni who serve the public in various ways.
- Date: Wednesday, October 27th, 2021
- Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM PST
- Speakers:
- Introductory remarks:
- Dr. Susan Porter
Dean and Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, UBC
- Dr. Susan Porter
- The panelists:
- Andrea Thoms, MEd’13
Adult Education Curriculum Consultant, Literacy, Humanities & Social Sciences, Province of Nova Scotia, the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration - Claudine Montes, PhD’06
Rincon Education Department Manager, Rincon Band of Luiseno Indians - John Taylor, BEd’98, PhD’01
Mayor, Town of Newmarket, Ontario - Keith Dormond, PhD’21
Detective, Vancouver Police Department – Recruiting Unit
- Andrea Thoms, MEd’13
- Moderator:
- Logan Lorenz, MA’21
Business Career Centre, Sauder School of Business, UBC
- Logan Lorenz, MA’21
- Introductory remarks:
- Event details
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- We launched our inaugral panel entitled Spotlight on Alumni Careers: EDST Alumni who forged their own Career Paths.
From vegan cooking education to graphic facilitation, from career coaching to supporting children facing homelessness, Educational Studies (EDST) alumni have gone on to seemingly every walk of life. In this panel, we will hear stories from EDST alumni who courageously ventured on to less beaten tracks by founding their own businesses, foundations, non-profits, and initiatives.
- Date: Thursday, March 25th, 2021
- Time: 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM PST
- Featured panellists:
- Brigitte Gemme, PhD’09
- Erica Mohan, MEd’03, PhD’10
- Isabeau Iqbal, BSc’93, MA’04, PhD’12
- Sam Bradd, MEd’15
- Event details
- We launched our inaugral panel entitled Spotlight on Alumni Careers: EDST Alumni who forged their own Career Paths.
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- The Spotlight on Alumni Careers panel series aims to support Education graduate students in broadening their career avenues by showcasing the career stories and experiences of Educational Studies (EDST) Alumni. Each panel highlights alumni from a different sector. EDST Alumni share their personal journeys and discuss how their current work is informed by their graduate studies. The panelists will inspire students and alumni who are looking for new, creative, and meaningful ways to contribute to society.
Thank you for joining a second iteration of Career Connections Day. Meet EDST alumni from across sectors and chat with them about their career journeys. Click here to learn more about our previous iteration.
Date: Saturday, March 5th | 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM PST
View recordings of Alumni's career journeys on the Event Page
Speakers:
Catherine Wilde, MEd'07
(Acting) Director, Development and Partnerships, Canadian Bureau for International Education
Claudius Soodeen, EdD'18
Faculty Development Consultant, Red River College & Instructor, University of Winnipeg
Linda Davis, PhD'93
Vice President of Academic Affairs, The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute
Lyn Daniels, EdD'16
Director of Instruction, Aboriginal Learning & Co-Chair, Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee
Share a Career Resource
We are compiling career resources for Education graduate students. If you have any career resources in mind that may help develop one’s career skills or find sector-specific jobs, kindly share them with us at this link.
While the focus is on supporting Education graduate students, the resources gathered are also relevant to students in the social sciences and humanities.
Funding
Phase 1: Sept 2020-April 2021
Project Title: Engaging Alumni to Support Education Graduate Students in their Career Exploration
- Funded by: Learning Transformed Grant, Faculty of Education
- Funding: 10,000 CAD
- PI: Michael Murphy, Alumni Engagement Manager
Co-Pi: Mary Kostandy
Phase 2: April 2021-Septemeber 2022
Project Title: Supporting Non-Academic Career Pathways for Educational Studies Graduate Students
- Funded by: Advancing Education Renewal Grant, UBC
- Funding: 50,0000 CAD
- PI: Mary Kostandy
- Co-PIs: André Mazawi, Michael Murphy, Alison Taylor, and Jude Walker.
Volunteer
If you are interested in participating in any of our activities, kindly email us at edst.diversecareers@ubc.ca.
Contact us
Mary Kostandy
Principal Investigator and Initiative Lead
edst.diversecareers@ubc.ca
Michael Murphy
Co-investigator and Manager, Alumni Engagement, Faculty of Education
education.alumni@ubc.ca