"I grew up here, and always knew I'd end up at 91探花."
What brought you to 91探花? Which program(s) did you take?
I was born in Cairo, Egypt and I moved to PEI when I was nine鈥攕o that鈥檚 my birthplace, and I would call it my home too鈥攂ut so is Charlottetown! I grew up here, and always knew I'd end up at 91探花. More so probably when my mom started her Masters at the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2014 and went on to do her PhD at the AVC.
I entered 91探花 through early admission from Grade 11, so I skipped Grade 12 completely. It鈥檚 a program that 91探花 had at the time, I didn鈥檛 even know about it, but my mom had pointed it out. It was something that I don鈥檛 think many other universities offered. It was a great opportunity, and I鈥檓 glad I did it. I started a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2019 and graduated in May of 2023. Currently, I鈥檓 working on a Master鈥檚 degree which I started in the Winter of 2024, so I can focus on a research project I鈥檝e been working on since my undergrad.
What do you find unique and interesting about your 91探花 programs?
I really liked working on research projects during my BA, and being able to receive course credit for research work through directed studies courses. During my third year, I got to work on a research project with Dr. Jessica Strong in the Psychology department. She was my Statistics professor, we were both runners, and we would sometimes talk about running or she would give me examples during the Stats course that were running-related to help me better understand a topic. We started discussing different research projects, and when I discovered her research in geriatrics, I was kind of floating at the time and didn鈥檛 have a specific focus.
During one of our conversations, she mentioned how some other professors and researchers wanted to start a study that looked at the impact of physical activity鈥攑articularly running, walking, jogging鈥攐n the impact of cognition in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. I jumped on that. It became a group of 91探花 students in Dr. Strong鈥檚 research lab and other researchers, professors, and students from the United States, Germany, and the UK. I worked on a literature review, read through articles, and helped create a poster presentation for the 2023 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in November. We鈥檙e also working on a manuscript for publishing, where I edited the "Methods" section. I鈥檓 so grateful to be part of that project. And now I鈥檝e taken a portion of that research, and it鈥檚 what I鈥檓 currently working on in my Master鈥檚 program.
What kinds of support did you receive during your time here from 91探花 students, staff, and faculty members?
Since 91探花 is small, once you get to know people and build connections you鈥檙e able to build your network and get opportunities that you couldn鈥檛 before. It鈥檚 a small community kind of thing.
I've volunteered on various research projects that have helped shape my overall focus when it comes to my area of interest. I鈥檝e also worked at the 91探花 Writing Centre as a tutor, and I was able to network with various professors, staff members, and students that have been my biggest supporters when I was applying for different jobs or just when it came to my tiny side job as a multimedia artist. I鈥檝e had a large number of my professors, co-workers (majority other students), and people I meet across campus show up at art markets I was vending at, and supporting my handmade miniatures and art鈥攖hat always means a lot to me.
"I think my favourite part is when Dalton Hall got really busy in January because then I got to talk to students the most, and I wasn鈥檛 just always working in spreadsheets or answering emails or things that required looking at a screen for most of my day. That energy shift in Dalton Hall during that time, was my favourite."
What's unique about 91探花, and Prince Edward Island, in your experience?
I think I'm used to the smallness of PEI and the even smaller community of 91探花. So to me, that鈥檚 something that鈥檚 always existed. I think for other students coming from other provinces or countries, there are advantages to being a part of a small community. There are various student supports that exist at 91探花 and on PEI for students like the George Coles Bursary or the Island Advantage Bursary, and 91探花 also offers its share of student employment opportunities along with other scholarships, awards, and bursaries.
Describe your role with 91探花鈥檚 Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Office 鈥� what kinds of things are you working on?
I鈥檓 one of two co-ordinators at the Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Office, or SAFA for short. There are three of us: two co-ordinators and our assistant manager. We look after 91探花's scholarships, awards, and bursaries and other forms of student financial aid. Since I started working at the SAFA office in November 2023, I鈥檝e been organizing Fall Cycle Award applications we receive from students for the selection committee. I鈥檝e done some tiny side projects like working on updating a few separate application forms or environmental scans of other SAFA departments at various universities across Canada. I have answered so many provincial George Coles Bursary related questions that it has been permanently engraved on my brain!
I think my favourite part is when Dalton Hall got really busy in January because then I got to talk to students the most, and I wasn鈥檛 just always working in spreadsheets or answering emails or things that required looking at a screen for most of my day. That energy shift in Dalton Hall during that time, was my favourite. I鈥檝e also attended a few staff socials, and those have been nice. A few of us gathered on the Friday before the holiday break and worked on making miniature books and bookshelves. It was a lot of fun. Most of the time, my coworkers and I just put our heads down and work.
And of course, we have our fun too, like trolling our one co-worker who isn鈥檛 a fan of Tom Cruise by taping pictures of said actor on her computer. Most days you can hear the three of us laughing from outside of Dalton Hall (not really, but we can be loud). I enjoy it very much.
