University of Limerick Alumni Spotlight: Joshua Ryan

In the latest instalment of our Alumni Spotlight series, we speak to public servant and member of the Army Reserve, Joshua Ryan, a graduate of the Bachelor of Arts and Masters in Public Administration at University of Limerick.  

Joshua discusses how UL prepared him for the working world and his exposure to some of the ‘academic greats’.  

Tell us about yourself   

I am from Montpelier in Limerick. I always had a strong interest in history and politics growing up, plaguing my parents with constant questions and to trips to the library.  

Thus, I decided I would pursue my interests further, so I chose to study History, Politics, Social Studies and Sociology (HPSS) in UL from 2016 to 2020, which is now integrated into the general arts degree.  

I am rather busy in my spare time with fitness, running, hiking and the gym with friends. I am a member of the Army Reserve which is tough and rewarding but equally enjoyable!  

Why did you choose University of Limerick?    

I was quite lucky that my mam works in UL, so I had very fond memories growing up around the fantastic campus. 

Furthermore, I knew that UL was highly respected on the world stage in academia and prided itself on academic excellence, so it was a no brainer for me.   

What did you enjoy most about your course?   

I really enjoyed my undergraduate education as it allowed me to grow professionally, academically and personally.  

I made some fantastic friends of which I still have today and one is to be my best man at my wedding. It was great to meet like-minded people with similar interests. There wasn’t a day we weren’t laughing or slagging each other amongst the stress of assignments or exams. 

Academically, I really enjoyed the challenge of research and constructing evidence-backed arguments to debate an idea or view. We were exposed to a variety of subjects from political theory, macro and microeconomics, public administration theory, etc. to more practice based such as organisational behaviour, administration law and collaborative governance. 

I then went onto return to UL in 2022 and study my Masters in Public Administration (part-time). 

I found this both challenging and enjoyable. It was further engaging academically but the course content was easily applied to working life and I felt it enhanced my abilities.  

As a University of Limerick student, you had the opportunity to learn from some of the top academic talent, in state-of-the-art facilities. What was your experience like? 

I still believe we were lucky to be exposed to some of the academic greats within our faculty that are known and established on the world stage, such as Professor Stephen Kinsella in Economics, Dr Bernadette Connaughton in Public Administration who supervised my Master’s thesis, and Professor Owen Worth in Politics. It was interesting each week how they all made us challenge our own beliefs and inspired us to form our own arguments.   

What are some of your favourite memories from your time here?    

Some of my favourite memories from UL involve heading to the Stables on lunch between lectures with friends and having a laugh before heading back. We had some fantastic events in the courtyard during freshers and refreshers such as Basshunter, Sean Kingston, etc. 

UL is known as the ‘Home of Firsts’ – are there any important ‘firsts’ that you experienced here, that you would like to share?    

My first time living away from home was UL, during my co-op in Cork and my Erasmus in Stockholm, Sweden. They were both amazing experiences where I learned a lot of life skills.   

Are there any campus locations that hold special significance to you?    

This may be cliché, but I think it is the Stables for sure - just great memories with friends during the day and after lectures in the evenings. University is absolutely about academia, but there is also a huge importance on the social skills you develop there.   

How did your courses and your overall UL experience prepare you for entering the workplace upon graduating?    

UL was great for preparing for the working world, whether that be engaging in team dynamics through group projects, learning how to write appropriately, standing up and presenting in front of large rooms or the fantastic co-op opportunities UL offers. 

I was lucky enough to secure co-op in Cork City Council’s finance department, and the experience I gained there still stands to me in my working career to date.   

Tell us about your career journey so far? 

Our class was the famous class of 2020, where in the middle of our second semester of final year, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and the working world appeared a little unsure.  

However, I always had a keen interest in the military and a documentary on Officer Cadets was one of the driving influences in what I wanted to study in UL.  

In 2020, I applied and began a Cadetship with the Irish Defence Forces. However, I decided then during training that I wanted to change my military career.  

I subsequently went into the Army Reserve and have loved it since. I am currently on a Non-Commissioned Officers course within the Reserve.  

After leaving the Cadets, I secured a position as a clerical officer in Technological University of the Shannon (formally LIT) in student services. It was very rewarding as we were giving back to students and making their time at college more enjoyable.  

In 2022 I secured a promotion to Assistant Staff Officer in the faculty office and in parallel, began my masters in UL.