Help Kegan attend Oxford's Master of Public Policy

Hello! Whether you know me well or are hearing about me for the first time, thank you for taking the time to read this.

My name is Kegan. I was raised in rural Inverness County, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. I currently live in Halifax, where I have been working since I graduated from StFX University in 2023. I am a longtime political staffer, campaigner, and advocate for youth political engagement.

I am writing this because I have been accepted into Oxford University's Master of Public Policy Program at their Blavatnik School of Government, with an offer to study at St Peter's College, the alma mater of Prime Minister Mark Carney. This is an opportunity of a lifetime, but unfortunately, I did not receive funding with this offer. This is a major barrier, and the total cost for the year will be $150,000.

That is why I am writing this today - to ask if you would be willing to support this journey financially, to share this with your networks, or to pitch in in any way you can.

This 9-month intensive program is designed to build policy leaders, who are equipped to make real differences in their community and will emerge with the skills needed to tackle the problems that they care about. For me, that's creating stronger democracies that are built for both now and the future, at a time when they are under stress across the world.

Though I have always been vocal about things I saw as unfair, it was in my university community of Antigonish where I truly found my love for politics. Door-knocking on political campaigns, I heard the issues that matter to my peers, and this opened my eyes to the need for systems that are more responsive to our youth.

From there I went on to enroll in honours classes, graduate top of my program, and write my thesis on the crisis of declining youth confidence in our institutions. I served as the President of a campus political party club and the Political Science Society and eventually began my first job in government, as Nova Scotia's Regional Advisor to cabinet (see My time at the MRO).

These experiences furthered my dedication to helping create stronger democratic systems, ones that youth feel seen in, and that can withstand the challenges they are facing today.

At its core, I believe politics is about good public policy that improves the lives of those it affects. I chose the career I did because I believe it is the best way to achieve that goal, and the Public Policy Program at Oxford University will give me the skills needed to impact change on the international, national, and local levels.

I appreciate you taking the time to hear about my story and I am asking for your support on this journey.

Thank you.