When Jake Scott (BKin ’19, MSc ’21, MPH ’23, MBA ’23) applied to Brock University nearly 10 years ago, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a career, but his health I knew I loved science.
The experiential learning opportunities at Brock shaped his eight-year academic career and provided him with the guidance, knowledge, and skill development that will help him pursue a career in health policy and administration.
The 26-year-old from Kingston, Ont., was one of about 1,000 Block Badgers who crossed the stage on Friday, Oct. 13, during the university’s 114th Convocation.
While most graduated with their first or second Brock degree, Scott completed four degrees and celebrated the culmination of each with a first-class distinction. Scott, who had already graduated with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2019 and a master’s degree in 2021, earned a master’s degree in public health (MPH) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA) on Friday. I acquired them at the same time over the years. He was also admitted to the Goodman Business School’s Beta His Gamma His Sigma branch as one of the top 20% of Goodman Business School’s graduate students.
Scott’s journey hinges on a pivotal moment in his third year of undergraduate study. That’s when a teaching assistant encouraged him to consider graduate school and explore research opportunities on campus.
That summer, thanks to a National Science and Engineering Research Council Undergraduate Student Research Award, Scott supported health research in Professor Stephen Chan’s Environmental Ergonomics Laboratory.
“This award started the rest of my block journey and helped me build my resume,” he said.
Scott continued his studies into his fourth year, mentored by Cheung and two other former Brock professors who taught him to be diligent, meticulous, and thorough.
He particularly enjoyed the “free-form aspect of learning” that came with research. He often took the initiative to learn how to operate research equipment on his own, and the professors he worked with encouraged him to share and discuss his ideas.
“I really enjoyed the conversational, feedback-oriented, one-on-one learning style,” he said.
Scott continued his research during his graduate program in health sciences. As the end of that program approached, he decided that although he enjoyed his studies, he wanted to continue his education in a different path.
He learned that Brock University is the only university in Canada to offer a dual degree program in Master of Public Health and Master of Business Administration, and with years of education in personal health, he learned that I was excited to apply it to organizational health and earn a business degree at the same time.
As part of his MBA Co-op placement, Scott worked in Brock University’s Office of Government, Community and International Relations under the guidance of Megan Lasnell, currently interim vice president for external relations.
“She gave me a project that she expected would be difficult for an intern, but because she trusted me and believed in my abilities, she was confident that I could do it. ” he said.
Among Scott’s projects is a government grant application on behalf of Brock Nursing to receive funding for enhanced equipment, including high-fidelity simulators and software, a Code Blue simulation bundle, and a virtual reality simulation package. It also included writing assignments.
For his MPH practicum, Scott was one of eight students across Canada assigned to the Canadian Institute for Health Information. Scott used his coding and data analysis skills to meet health data demands while working in the pharmaceutical sector. While there, he also benefited from the guidance of leaders who believed in his potential.
After completing his education, Scott is looking forward to pursuing a career in healthcare management where he can positively impact people’s overall well-being by helping create efficient healthcare systems. Masu.