Ideas percolate from work experience for Werklund grad student

Many people can’t start their day without a cup of coffee. For most, the main concern is that it’s hot, relatively fresh, and reasonably decent in taste.

But for Patrick Ryan, knowing as much as he can about his coffee — where and how it’s grown and harvested, how it gets from the farm to market, the process of roasting and brewing — that deeper background on the subject, is something that gets him going as much as the caffeine in his cup.

“The kind of specialized knowledge that occurs along the way is really fascinating,” says Ryan, an adviser for talent development in Human Resources at the University of Calgary. 

Ryan translates that desire to expand his knowledge to his work on the training and development team. He says he loves what he does because of his passion for learning, for sharing that passion with others, and for helping employees get the most out of their work.

“We all spend so much time working,” he says. “I really get a lot out of how the contributions I make can help make that time really well spent.”

Melding teaching, learning, and business acumen  

Although Ryan is based in HR, he can also be found in and around the Education complex from time to time.  He is currently enrolled in theWerklund School of Education’s Master of Education (specialist) program, where he is focusing on work and learning.

“In a nutshell, this program is about how people learn at, and through, their work,” explains Ryan, who also holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Human Resources from the Haskayne School of Business. “This interests me because it combines my passion for teaching and learning with my business acumen."

“Learning how organizations can best encourage learning and behavior in their employees, in an effort to meet business objectives, is fascinating stuff," he says. "Meanwhile, learning more about how individuals undertake and react to workplace learning speaks to my passion for adult education.”

Ryan is able to keep up his full-time work at the university because his program is taken, for the most part, online.

“Attending school while working full-time is never easy,” he says, “but the ability to fit my studies around the needs of my workplace really works for me.”

Identifying and feeding your passions

So what advice would he give to someone like himself — an individual with professional obligations and a desire to continue to learn — thinking about advancing his or her education?

Ryan takes a sip of his coffee (no doubt it’s an excellent, freshly brewed cup) and thinks for a moment.  

"I recommend spending some time up-front to consider what really gets you fired up and excited about taking your education to the next level," he says. “I think identifying and feeding that passion will serve you well."