Proud Laurier Golden Hawk
One of the greatest times in my life was studying at Laurier. I had never been to the Waterloo Region before a Laurier open house with my parents in the summer of 2013. Little did I know, Waterloo Region would become my adoptive home. After growing up in Grey Highlands, moving to Waterloo to study at Laurier was like moving to the big city. It’s the place that I met lifelong friends, developed and gained new interests and passions, learned from enriching and caring professors (who invested in helping us succeed), got life-changing opportunities, and a deep commitment to community involvement.
After adjusting to being a university student in first year, I was committed to getting involved in Laurier’s community. I wanted to take advantage of the many opportunities and still remember my first volunteer interview with Radio Laurier and the tranquil mornings as a News Assistant. I would later write op-eds for the Cord Newspaper because I wanted to try sharing my perspective on community events. I remember attending many fun events as a general member of the Laurier (Pre-)Law Society and Association of Political Science Students (APSS).
I got involved in student and partisan politics. First, as a board member with the Wilfred Laurier University Student’s Union. A lifelong liberal supporter, in 2014, I got involved in my first election with Ellen Anderson after heading back home to Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound for the summer after my first year at Laurier. I then got involved with the Laurier Young Liberals (LYL) and volunteered with a couple different campaigns during the 2015 federal election. I served as LYL’s Executive Vice President and later as President.
I developed an unexpected interest in social science research methods and Canadian elections and public opinion. I remember being fascinated with and attending a talk on (now Prof.) Zac Spicer’s findings on the 2014 Toronto mayoral election. I was later an Instructional Assistant (i.e. a undergraduate Teaching Assistant) for two political science research method courses (PO 217 & PO 218). I was also invited to guest lecture in PO 217 on Intro to Survey Research and Design to approximately 120 students (get the slides here).
In 2015, I completed a survey design workshop with Laurier Summer Institute of Research Methods. I was a Research Assistant for Dr. Andrea Perrella and LISPOP (Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy) where my academic passion grew for Canadian elections, public opinion, and voting behaviour. You can still catch me reading and checking out Canadian public opinion polls and commentary.
At Laurier, we were encouraged to be active participants in our university community and to make a positive impact. In my final year, I took my Laurier training and spirit to the wider Kitchener-Waterloo community. I volunteered with (then) Autism Services Waterloo Region and A-Team Waterloo Region: A Peer Support Group for Adults with Aspergers’ Syndrome. I was a Conversational English Partner with KWMC.
In addition to majoring in political science, I received a minor in history and a legal studies, co-op, and research specialization options. I also graduated with honours, distinction, and on the Dean's Honour Roll (2014-2016). I received scholarships and awards in political science, history, and co-op while studying at Laurier. I had co-op terms with Laurier’s Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (as a Communication Assistant) and the Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre (KWMC)(Settlement Worker’s Assistant) with the help of the Arts Undergraduate Society Award. I worked part-time in my final undergraduate year and in summer 2017 until the 50th Annual KW Multicultural Festival. I was a guest speaker for incoming co-op students (3x).