Shane Cunningham - BA, Hons Psychology

Shane Cunningham came to Saint Mary's from her home in Oakville, Ontario looking for new experiences. And new experiences were what Shane found.

This spring as she graduated from Saint Mary's with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Psychology, she felt that she has spread her wings in many different ways during her four years in Halifax. And, as a reward for her efforts, she takes home the gold medal for the highest GPA in Arts.

The Saint Mary's University Students' Association (SMUSA) has been a big part of Shane's life throughout her university years. “I enjoyed organizing events and having a say in what happens on campus,” she says. “I always volunteered for events, such as Frosh Week, where I was both a facilitator and a leader. It's a great way to get to know people, who are involved in every facet of the university.”

In addition to her involvement with SMUSA, Shane was involved in a variety of sports at Saint Mary's as a member of the cross-country team and as a member of both intramural soccer and volleyball teams.  She also spent time as a Residence Assistant.

But it is in the academic arena where Shane particularly excelled. “I really enjoyed the psychology program at Saint Mary's,” she says. “I've been with most of the other psych students since first year, so we're a tightly-knit group. I liked the fact that Saint Mary's is small enough give you good support, but big enough to offer a broad range of teaching.”

She speaks highly of her professors, three of whom stand out for her. Dr. Jim Cameron supervised her thesis on Disney princesses and stereotyping and was one of her professors since first year. Honours seminar professor, Dr. Veronica Stinson, had a reputation as a “tough marker,” but Shane found her “phenomenal.” Social psychology professor, Dr. David Bourgeois, was particularly helpful because his area of study is also Shane's, but also because “he always has his office door open.”

Although she wanted to, Shane never found the time to take advantage of any of the Study Abroad programs at Saint Mary’s. That ambition will soon be fulfilled as Shane will be flying off to Scotland in September to begin her Master of Arts degree at University of St. Andrews.

She may leave Saint Mary's behind, but her undergraduate experiences will never leave her. “When I came here, I didn't know anyone. None of my friends from school came here and I had no family nearby. But it didn't matter; because Saint Mary's cradles you and lets you develop and flourish in many different ways.     I feel completely myself and completely comfortable here.”

Shane feels firmly attached to Saint Mary's now and will definitely remain involved as an alumnus—even far away in Scotland.

Adam Harris - BSc, Hons Environmental Studies/Biology

Adam Harris' father is an alumnus of Saint Mary's, so Adam grew up knowing about the university. But after looking at other schools, he came here for his own reasons.

“I liked the size of the campus, the community atmosphere, the location within the city and the small science classes,” he says.

Adam graduated after five years at Saint Mary's with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Environmental Studies and Biology this spring. He chose Environmental Studies because of the variety of subjects the interdisciplinary degree enabled him to study, including geography, economics, biology and international development studies, and the opportunity to do his thesis on “green” roofs.

The word “variety” goes a long way to describe Adam's years at Saint Mary's. Always involved at his high school in Truro, Adam brought his enthusiasm for volunteering and participating to Halifax.  He joined the Biology Society and AIESEC, the world’s largest student-run organization, and participated in Orientation Week, became a Residence Assistant, and played intramural sports. He also became heavily involved in the Saint Mary's University Students' Association (SMUSA), becoming Vice-President of Academic Affairs in

his last year.

Adam's impressive résumé of activities has been recognized and rewarded along the way. He has received

a Certificate of Distinction for his work with SMUSA and received the Gold “M”, which is the highest award for students who contribute to the university throughout their years at Saint Mary’s. For Adam, his involvement has been a way of meeting new people and of “giving back.”

“I've been inspired by all the people here—students and friends, faculty and administration. There is such a variety of people here from all over the world. You really are getting an education framed in an international context,” he says.

The “international context” has certainly played a big part in Adam's time at Saint Mary's. This year he went to Northern Ireland as part of the Conflict Resolution Society. There he helped lead conflict resolution workshops with school-aged children in formerly embattled areas of Belfast. In March, Adam travelled to Dubai with two other Saint Mary's students to attend the 2009 Education Without Borders conference.

As the local alumni co-coordinator for AISEC, Adam helped Saint Mary's students and alumni find internships all over the globe and give internationally aware young leaders valuable leadership and cultural experiences.

Shortly after graduation, Adam will be embarking on an AISEC adventure of his own: a six-week internship

in the Ukraine, under the auspices of the NGO World Without Borders, where he will help out at a summer camp for children.

Already accepted at the University of Ottawa's law school, Adam has deferred his entry for a year so that he can teach English in South Korea. Adam leaves Saint Mary's having challenged himself on many different fronts and his unshakable quest for “variety” goes with him.

Katie Nizio - BSc, Hons Chemistry, Dip Forensic Science

Katie Nizio arrived at Saint Mary's University five years ago hoping to have “an adventure.” Lured partly by the forensics program the university offers, Katie also wanted to get away from her home in Oshawa, Ontario, and live in a different part of the country. 

“Ontario has four or five forensics programs, but I chose Saint Mary's because it's small. I'm from a small high school where everyone knows each other, and I wanted a similar experience at university.  In some of my classes at Saint Mary's, there were only four or five in the class. I would have had a completely different experience if I'd gone to the University of Toronto.”

Katie graduated with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Chemistry, a minor in Biology and a Diploma in Forensic Science this spring. She knew she wanted to study sciences and forensics when she arrived at Saint Mary’s, but she hadn’t chosen a major. The decision to concentrate on chemistry came about almost by accident.

“You can’t begin the forensics program until your second year at Saint Mary’s,” explains Katie. “And to go into the program, you have to have a major picked. What I did was look at my first year marks and I saw

that my best grades were in chemistry—plus I knew that there would be a lot of biology in the forensics program—so that’s how I ended up majoring in chemistry.”

It was a decision that helped to shape Katie’s years at Saint Mary’s and will continue to shape her future. She spent two summers at Saint Mary’s working with green chemistry expert, Dr Jason Clyburne, on his Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) projects. Dr Clyburne had not been one of Katie’s professors up to that point, but he became her thesis supervisor and Katie worked with him on research into ionic liquids and polymeric solutions.

“What I liked about working with Jason was that he let me choose my area of research. He knew I wanted a topic that was interesting from a forensics point of view, so this was perfect.”

Now armed with her degree and an NSERC grant, Katie is heading to the University of Alberta in Edmonton this autumn to begin work on a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry.

“I initially applied to work at the Trace Evidence lab in Edmonton,” she says, “I had an interview there, but

I was told that I’m not ready yet. At the University of Alberta, I will work with the analytical instruments and continue my research there. Then I can apply again to the Trace Evidence lab. I also have the option of converting my Master’s studies into a PhD after a year or so.”

Ross Simmonds -  BComm, Marketing and Human Resources Management / Industrial Relations

Ross Simmonds came to Saint Mary's University four years ago to study business, but in the process, one of the most significant lessons he learned is the value of an opportunity.

Ross is from East Preston and came to Saint Mary's partly for the simple reason that it was close to home. But, he explains, there was more to it than that. “I've always had a passion for business, and Saint Mary's

is known for its business studies programs. I considered other universities, but as soon as I came to orientation week, I knew it was the place I wanted to be.” He graduated this spring with a Bachelor of Commerce with a double major in Marketing, and Human Resources/Industrial Relations.

The diversity of the student population, the quality of the programs and support from professors all rank high on Ross' list of things he has come to appreciate about Saint Mary's. But it wasn't always this way. “When I started at Saint Mary's, I was not into the whole school thing,” he admits. One professor, Dr. Eric Lee, made a difference. “My second year stats professor said that you don't have to be a genius, but if you strive to do your best, you'll get great results.”

This simple message encouraged Ross to “rethink his approach to school.” Not only did he put more effort into his studies, but he decided to get more involved in extracurricular activities. A friend who was running

for the Accounting Society suggested that Ross might like to stand for the Marketing Society.

Being elected Vice-President of the Marketing Society put Ross into a leadership position with new responsibilities. “I worked with people I hadn't worked with before and did a lot of public speaking.”

Ross and a friend also decided to enter the locally-run Hamachi Case Competition as one of 15 teams competing. “We had to visit the restaurant, try the food and come up with a marketing campaign to expand the business. It was a 'real client' and we gained a lot from the experience—as well as $1000 for coming second.”

“I've learned that if you don't get involved, you won't get anywhere,” says Ross.  And Ross is definitely going places. This summer he takes up a prestigious six-week Krista Harris Fellowship award at the CBC, which will give him a wide range of hands-on experience. After that, the possibilities are endless.

“I am seriously thinking about starting my own company, probably as a consultant in advertising and promotions,” Ross says.  “The university has given me quite a few tools to help me and the Saint Mary's Business Development Centre has also been very supportive.”

Saint Mary's has probably not seen the last of Ross, who considers the university his “second home” and is now considering returning to do an MBA. “Going to Saint Mary's made me realize that education opens up a lot of doors. I particularly learned that if you get an opportunity, you have to take it and make the most of it.”

Jen Schwartz - BA, Religious Studies/English

It is not unusual for a student to go to university with one idea about the course of study he or she wants to pursue, only to change direction part way through. This was the case for Jen Schwartz. For her, it was one course that prompted a complete re-think of not only her studies, but the career path she believes she will follow.

Jen is from Hubbards, Nova Scotia. This spring she graduated with a double major in Religious Studies

and English; she was also Valedictorian at Convocation for Arts and a recipient of the Silver “M” for extracurricular involvement. She chose Saint Mary's because it's a “small campus with a community feel.

I looked at other universities, but they were too big. I needed something smaller and easier to get around. Saint Mary's gave me everything I was looking for.”

Jen initially came to Saint Mary's planning to major in English and then teach. But then she took a Religious Studies course in her first year, Religion and Contemporary Culture, which is about how “religion influences culture and how culture influences religion.”

That course inspired Jen to take more Religious Studies courses and to consider seriously a future in the ministry. For the immediate future, she will be working for the Canadian government in Bridgewater and paying off her student loan, before heading to Huron College in Ontario for divinity studies.

Jen spent her five years at Saint Mary's involved in many different aspects of university life. She participated as a leader in Orientation Week and enjoyed meeting different people with different backgrounds. She was also the representative for students with disabilities on the Saint Mary’s University Student Association.

In her third year, Jen travelled to Belfast in Northern Ireland as part of the Conflict Resolution Society that worked in primary schools there, promoting anti-bullying. “This experience fitted particularly well with my studies,” she says, “but I'd recommend it to anyone. Peace work is now a focus for my volunteering activities.”

The whole experience of being at Saint Mary's is one that Jen heartily endorses. “I loved Saint Mary's,”

she says. “The best advice I can give to anyone who comes here is to jump in with both feet. And if

anyone is thinking about whether they should come here, the answer is an automatic 'yes'. I loved the

feeling of community—and the feeling that I could get involved and make a difference.”

Even though she is leaving Saint Mary's, Jen plans to remain involved and attend alumni activities, such as Homecoming. But more than that, however, she hopes to act as an ambassador and help build awareness of the university. “People need to know that if they come here, they will have an unparalleled experience,” she says.

In her valedictory address, delivered at convocation, Jen's message was “to remember the people who have helped you and take that positive energy out into the world and help others.” It's a message Jen herself has followed during her years at Saint Mary's.

Kirk Emery - BA, Hons Philosophy

“Philosophy is the best degree you can have,” says Kirk Emery. He should know. He has just graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Philosophy and a minor in English.

After graduating from high school in Sussex, New Brunswick, Kirk took a year off to train as a competitive cyclist in the South of France and Texas. He was in Texas when it came time to apply to university. “I knew I wanted to go to Halifax,” he says, “and Saint Mary's was neither too big nor too small.”

Kirk arrived at Saint Mary's four and half years ago, fully intending to pursue an Honours degree in English. But in his first year he took a philosophy course with the “controversial but inspiring” Dr Peter March and “the balance shifted”.

That first philosophy course changed Kirk's life. “It was my first introduction to reason and logic,” he says. “You don't get anything like that in a normal public high school. It's quite technical. It's all about clarity of thought and ideas. I was impressed with what we can do with our brains.”

It wasn't long before Kirk changed his major to philosophy. To obtain his Honours degree, he opted to take additional courses, including seminars and directed reading instead of writing a thesis. “School tends to push you through the system without asking students to engage with the material. Studying philosophy gets you to challenge ideas and work hard to figure out the truth,” he maintains.

Kirk served as Vice-President of the Philosophy Society and as an executive member of the Pre-Law Society. He also worked as a teaching assistant for Dr Peter March and Dr Mark Mercer, both of whom taught him a lot. And when Kirk wasn’t studying, cycling gave him a pleasant break.

But it was philosophy that claimed the lion's share of Kirk's attention. “It really is the most valuable thing you can study,” he says. “It makes you better able to solve problems and it is a route to true education. A lot of other subjects are just applied learning. With philosophy you have to have an ability to analyze, explore ideas, to build an argument and not be misled by emotion.”

Kirk is heading off to McGill Law School in the autumn where he will study for a Bachelor of Laws in Common and Civil Law. But he isn't finished with philosophy. After obtaining his law degree, he plans to return to university to study political philosophy.

Kirk's passion for philosophy has become one that he expects he will pursue long after leaving Saint Mary's. It all started here, however, in that first philosophy course and in long discussions with his professors. “They were more than willing to help you,” he says. “I could spend two hours at a time chatting with my professors and I feel I learned as much in those sessions as I did in the classroom. That was the best part about being here.”

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