Cathlia Ward (BPhil’15, BEd’20) has spent her career shaping stories for others. As press secretary for Saskatchewan’s Official Opposition, and as the voice behind Cathlia the Press Secretary on TikTok and Instagram, she spends her days translating complex political realities into stories the public can understand.

“I always wanted to change the world,” she says simply. “Here I am, trying.”

Finding her way to leadership

Cathlia’s path to politics was anything but linear. A graduate of UNB’s Renaissance College (now the School of Leadership Studies), she earned a bachelor of philosophy in leadership studies before completing a bachelor of education and a certificate in labour relations.

Cathlia says Renaissance College stood out from all the other programs. “I really struggled to figure out what I wanted to do.”

That changed when she discovered Renaissance College at an open house with her dad. “It was like all the pieces of things I liked were brought into one program.”

What resonated most wasn’t just the academic structure, but the way the program challenged her worldview. “I think that being forced to start considering that other people are walking a different path and there's no wrong answer here. That was huge for me.”

That foundation, she says, continues to shape how she approaches work today. “I come back to that ability to consider other people’s worldviews a lot. And to not villainize people for not viewing the world the way I do. I think that's quite powerful.”

Teaching, learning and labour advocacy

After graduating from Renaissance College, Cathlia stepped into the workforce, craving impact. That desire eventually led her back to UNB for a bachelor of education. “There’s no bigger act of service than teaching. It is the most powerful way you can change the world.”

Life, however, had other plans. While completing her BEd, Cathlia discovered she was pregnant. “I had been chasing this busy, ‘change‑the‑world’ life. And now I had a baby, and the pace of life was very different.”

Although she earned her teaching degree, the realities of early parenthood and a challenging job market meant she didn’t step into a permanent classroom right away.

“My partner was military and he was not from New Brunswick. After my maternity leave, I ended up taking a marketing job with Sport New Brunswick, because getting a full-time teaching job was really challenging.”

Cathlia also returned to UNB to complete a certificate in labour relations. “I was worried about not having something concrete as I maneuvered a different space. I didn’t know if I’d ever get back to teaching.”

When Cathlia’s partner (now husband) was posted to Saskatchewan, she eventually did take up teaching. While teaching, she volunteered as a union representative at her school.

When teacher bargaining escalated into the longest teachers’ strike in Saskatchewan’s history, Ward began posting videos online explaining labour negotiations in plain language. Some posts reached tens of thousands of viewers.

“I learned that most teachers don't have a labour relations background. And they didn't understand what was happening or how to explain it to their families or the students.”

Politics at the ground level

That instinct eventually pulled Cathlia back toward politics. Drawing on earlier experience working at a provincial legislature, she began door‑knocking, organizing and communicating during a closely contested election.

“It was right after the teacher strike, and we were headed into the summer. I was contemplating if I could even keep teaching because I had 36 second graders in my classroom. My husband was away 80 per cent of the year. I had two small kids at this point.”

One day, Cathlia ran into the shadow minister for education at a BBQ.

“I was like, ‘Something's got to change. I used to work in politics. I don't know if I could help you.’ So, he asked me if I wanted to door knock. I was like, ‘yeah, I've done tons of door knocking. I'll door knock for you.’

So Cathlia spent that summer, with her kids in a wagon door knocking to feel like she was helping, just a little bit.

After months of knocking, Cathlia became increasingly aligned with the work and with leader Carla Beck, whose background as a social worker and parent resonated strongly.

Anticipating the October 2024 election, Cathlia reduced her teaching contract to part time, without any guarantee of campaign work. She balanced teaching with relentless door knocking, becoming a bridge between the classroom and the campaign trail as colleagues followed her updates and sought insight into what she was hearing at the doors.

A leap of faith

When the election ended in a narrow loss by just 1,400 votes, Cathlia was left with a part‑time teaching role and deep uncertainty. After reflection, she realized she wasn’t finished serving her community and took another leap of faith. She resigned from teaching in December without a confirmed role.

That trust paid off when, in March, she was officially appointed press secretary for the opposition.

Using story to affect change

Today, Cathlia manages press releases, speaking notes, social media, issue research and digital storytelling—often all at once. “We have the smallest opposition budget in Canada, I believe. So, we're a team of like 10 people. So, each one of us must make up for the job of about 7.” Still, the work feels deeply aligned. “It's an incredible opportunity.”

Online, Cathlia the Press Secretary has become an extension of that philosophy. “You are an expert in politics, because you’re an expert in your own life. Politics is about people and their real lives.”

For someone who has spent much of her career shaping narratives for others, stepping into the spotlight sometimes still feels unfamiliar.

“I didn’t set out to be this very serious political woman,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m in awe of the journey most days.”