Say a little about yourself, your interests, undergraduate degree and what you are doing now. “My name is Leah Paterson, and I was born and raised in Fredericton, NB. I recently graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership (Renaissance College) with a Chemistry minor. With this degree, I had the opportunity to complete two internships: one in Canada and the other in Bhutan. This was an experience of a lifetime! I have just recently started the Speech-Language Pathology Master’s program at Dalhousie University. When I am not studying, I love to spend time with friends and family, play with my dog, dance and volunteer in my community.”
Would there be anything you would have done differently during undergrad to better your chances of being accepted into your program? “Looking back had I known exactly what program I wanted to apply to, I would have taken more time to job shadow and research that field of work. I also would have liked to take more courses to help me when I pursue a professional program. For example, most Speech-Language Pathology programs have multiple linguist prerequisites; however, at DAL, they do not require any. This could have bettered my chances when I applied to DAL as it demonstrated I took the initiative to learn and prepare for this degree.”
Was it a daunting experience to decide to pursue a professional school? “As someone who enjoys school, deciding whether to pursue professional school was not a very daunting experience. Ever since I was a child, I knew I wanted to work in a health care profession, so I was prepared to be in school for a long time; however, deciding what career and then school was very challenging. I think it is normal to be nervous about applying to graduate schools. I also know the feeling of pressure while trying to figure out what you want to study; however, I have realized that eventually, everything will fall into place if it is meant to be.”
What organizations were you involved in on campus? “Throughout my three years as an undergraduate student, I had the opportunity to get involved with many campus groups. I volunteered for the Renaissance College, haunted house and planned the Renaissance College Celebration Dinner all three years. Going into my second year, I was fortunate enough to be a Red Shirt during orientation. This was an extraordinary experience. All three years, I worked at the Welcome Centre in the SUB as well as used for Girls Club, a club run through Worlds UNBound in which we deliver STEM workshops to girls in grades 1-8. In my final year of school, I was fortunate enough to be a Peer Mentor for RC and the Treasure for the Renaissance College Society. Finally, I worked as the Renaissance College Coordinator Assistant in my final year. This was a work-study position available through the University. I would strongly recommend to any incoming students to get involved with UNB. There are so many fantastic opportunities, and it’s a great way to make new friends.”
What was the thing that surprised you the most during the application process? “Throughout the application process for graduate schools, I was surprised at how different the school requirements were. Even though it may be the same program, some schools needed additional prerequisites. I would encourage all students to take some time to explore all graduate schools of interest to gauge what you will need to apply. During the application process, each school asked for a personal statement. For Speech-Language Pathology at DAL and a few other Master’s programs I applied to; they only wanted a 500-word response to multiple questions. This forced me to be very concise with what I was saying. I would strongly encourage staring this early on and keep coming back to it. I would also recommend getting multiple people to read it over before submitting your application.”
Leah can be reached at lpaterso@unb.ca for further questions.