Program: Medical and Biological Physics Co-op
Hometown: Mississauga, ON
My favourite course would be MATH 2X03, Multivariable and Vector Calculus! It was the course that made me love and appreciate math so so much, and made me decide to go and pursue a minor in mathematics. I am a physics major, and math is something that we always have in our back pockets, it’s a building block. I know I sound like a complete nerd here, like who’s this girl saying her favourite course was calculus, I have to say that this course changed how I viewed mathematics, physics, and taught me ways of thinking that have changed me forever. My friends will tell you how I preached about this course in second year and third year, and even now, I’d do it again. Math is hard, I agree, but this course will make it worth it!
It’s really hard to pick one person, but the group I was most thankful to have met while I was at Mac would be McMaster Dragon Boat Club! I met them while I was in first year, and this was when there were many COVID restrictions, and when I really missed my sports team from high school. Meeting them motivated me to become active again, make new friends, and go and accomplish great things on my own and as a team. It’s been five years, but I’m still with them, and am excited to paddle with them for one last summer.
The greatest thing I’ve accomplished would be nominating myself for Co-op Student of the Year. While I am grateful and happy to have been recognized as a nominee, looking back, the moment I’m most proud of is deciding to go for it and applying. My university experience has been a journey of self-discovery, building my confidence, and fighting the imposter syndrome, and I was constantly (and still am) feeling as if I was swatting flies with the assignments and million other things I was taking on. I’m happy I had the opportunity for taking the time to reflect and appreciate the progress I’ve made, then taking ownership of the work I’ve done for myself, my career, and my personal life. Now I can say with much confidence that I came out of my experience here at Mac as a much more mature and developed person!
I would be most proud to show my degree to my parents! They have been so so supportive and caring in whatever ways they could, and I wouldn’t be here, having made it so far, without them!
You’ve probably heard this one before, but my advice would be to open minded to the people you meet, the places you visit, the classes you take, everything! Sometimes, you’ll find your community or maybe even your future in places you’ll least expect to find them. I realized this much later into my degree, so perhaps telling you would give you a head start! Think about the version of yourself you would be most proud of and try to be that person every day. You’ll eventually find that you’ve become a person that past you would aspire to be, and that’s powerful.
Convocation, Students