New Grad Spotlight: Darian Agapay (BA/21)

Darian Agapay is a graduate of Carleton’s Bachelor of Arts Honours program with a specialization in Business Law. During her time at Carleton, Darian held student leadership positions with Carleton’s Department of Housing and Residence Life Services and the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities, alongside involvement in several other clubs and societies. We chatted with Darian, who shared how her engagement on Carleton’s campus has helped her in her career.

Hey Darian! How did your classes and extracurriculars at Carleton prepare you for a career in federal and municipal politics?

When I came to Ottawa, I was a new immigrant who had only just arrived in Canada. I always knew I wanted to work in global or intergovernmental affairs, so I chose to study at Carleton for its location, impressive law program, and resources available to students. Being in this city at the heart of government taught me real-world skills due to the political landscape of Ottawa as being a central hub for law and governance.

I use many of the courses I took at Carleton to this day! Comparative politics is a large one because I work in an intergovernmental affairs environment. Courses in French, history, journalism, human rights, and others like transitional justice have helped me immensely. Working in residence was invaluable, as it grounded my capacity to lead and set me up to navigate real-life challenges. I wrote for The Charlatan newspaper and was also a volunteer notetaker and student support person with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities. I use my research & notetaking skills on a day-to-day basis — writing and summarizing the long and detailed lectures in the Law faculty proved to be instrumental to my success.

What does your day-to-day work look like as the Executive Assistant in the Mayor’s Office?

I assist the Mayor and his Chief of Staff daily as well as the directors as needed. I take pride in doing my part to ensure their capacity to make high-stakes decisions for Ottawa by coordinating meetings with decision-makers between all levels of government and within departments in the city. I also help make sure the Mayor is well-prepared for each day by arranging his daily briefing binders containing all the important files he will need for each vital discussion.

What early career milestones are you proudest of?

Before this role, I worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Parliament of Canada where I spent my time conducting parliamentary returns and affairs such as reading and researching bills, drafting official statements, questions, and speeches, and briefing the Member of Parliament for his duties and parliamentary committees. I was also among the youngest people to have ever introduced a bill in the House of Commons which is something I’m still very proud of to this day! All my work has been immortalized in the Hansard – an official record of everything stated within the House during its proceedings.

What advice would you give to other recent Carleton University graduates?

It’s incredibly unrealistic to have life all figured out and to be so rigid with how you visualize success. Be open to opportunities and pursue success and happiness as you define it. Don’t compare your own career trajectory to somebody else’s. Everyone’s path is different, everyone carries different stories and experiences that impact their perception of the world. Be kind to yourself and others. Develop the resilience to pick yourself up when you’re down and to accept imperfection and failure.