Hello! I’m Allie and I’m excited to be joining the Collective Results team as a practicum student this fall. I’m currently in the final semester of my Master of Health Evaluation at the University of Waterloo, where I have been learning about all things program evaluation, research methods, and the health care system. Having previously worked (and continuing to volunteer) in the not-for-profit sector, it is a privilege to be starting this next phase of my learning journey with a team that shares my passion for helping organizations to do good.
I first stepped into the evaluation world two years ago, when I completed the Microprogram on Evaluation of Social and Health Programs and Policies at the University of Ottawa, and I haven’t looked back since! I was immediately drawn to the profession, which combined two of my favourite parts of my undergrad in psychology: rigorous applied research methods and working collaboratively with people. I also felt that developing my evaluation skills would complement my frontline work in student support services and youth mental health. Being able to help drive meaningful change at the organization and systems levels was, and still is, a big motivator for me.
As I begin my practicum placement, I look forward to learning from the vast range of expertise held at Collective Results. There are a few areas in which I am particularly excited to expand my skill set:
- Strategic Planning. The evaluations that I have been involved with have all ended with findings and recommendations. But how can we translate all of this great work into meaningful action? I am excited to work on my critical thinking and facilitation skills in this capacity.
- Data Analysis. Real-world data can be messy. I hope to sharpen my qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills so that I can produce accurate findings that clients can use to make informed decisions.
- Data Visualization. It’s hard to use research findings if we can’t even understand them. I look forward to learning more about best practices in data visualization to ensure that I can communicate findings in a digestible way to all intended audiences.
Overall, I’m very grateful to be starting this next chapter of my professional life with the kind and experienced Collective Results team. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow over these next four months!