Our Alumni, Who They are and What They are Doing, Joelle Aucoin
When I began my first microeconomics course with Dr. Ricardo Carreras at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College, I had not picked a major and was unsure of which path I wanted to take. Also, I knew very little about economics. Dr. Carreras played a key role in growing my interest in this field and encouraged me to pursue an undergraduate degree specializing in economics. I entered into the economics program at MUN after two years of general studies, and another two years later I graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in economics. Under the guidance of Dr. Eugene Tsoa (former Head of the Department of Economics), I moved on to complete the Masters of Arts Economics program at MUN in 2003.
After a year of teaching English as a second language in South Korea, I began my career with the Government of Newfoundland Labrador in a junior economist role with the Department of Finance. I am currently employed as a Senior Policy, Planning and Research Analyst with the Department of Fisheries and Land Resources. This role is a combination of economics and policy related responsibilities, including: economic impact analysis, forecasting, quantitative and qualitative analysis in support of policy and program development, surveying, and preparing correspondence, briefing material, reports, presentations and publications. I have also been working part-time as a Per-Course Instructor at MUN for the past nine years, teaching introductory courses in microeconomics and macroeconomics.
My experience with the MUN department of economics helped to prepare me for my career by providing the education to specialize in the field of economics, a strong knowledge base and the tools to continue to learn and grow. I would like to extend a sincere thank you to the following people for their guidance and support throughout my education and career: Dr. Carreras, Dr. Tsoa, Dr. Locke, Dr. Wernerheim and Dr. May.
My advice to new students:
- If you are unsure of your field of study, don't be afraid to explore various fields, it's never too late to pick a major.
- Take a co-op program, the networking opportunities are invaluable.
- Use the resources that are available (e.g. Economics Help Centre).
- Make connections with the students, faculty and staff around you, you never know what opportunities these connections may offer.