What brought you to UPEI? Why did you choose to study here?

I'm from quite a few places but only in Canada—New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, and Ontario—life circumstances brought me to PEI almost eight years ago now. But I chose to stay here for my studies because UPEI offered everything I wanted out of a university program. Additionally, the idea of having large lecture classes for my major did not interest me. The smaller class sizes of UPEI make for a more personal experience in my education which has been incredibly useful to me as I like to make use of my professor's office hours.

What do you find unique and interesting about the History program?

As far as interesting is concerned there is a plethora. Primarily it's the new courses we are offering that are role-play based; we take an event in history and the students take on roles of characters or people during the event and recreate the scenario in the classroom to get a better idea of the mentality of those who had lived through these events for real in history. For instance, we did a mock witch trial from the 1490s in the HRE (Modern day Germany) and I took on the role of the town's mayor, and my goal was to ensure that the town did not succumb to chaos, which I failed to do.

What kinds of support have you received during your time here from UPEI students, staff, and UPEI faculty members?

I have received so much support from faculty members in my four years of studying here. Any time I have asked a professor to help me with an assignment, or to re-explain concepts from their lectures I didn't quite understand during the office hours they have done so happily. My grades are significantly higher than they would be were I not able to do that. Numerous times I have sent professors assignments prior to the due date and to give me feedback before I make a submission which has really helped me grow as a writer and researcher. 

What's unique about UPEI, and Prince Edward Island, in your experience?

The friendly environment of PEI is definitely unique. Where I'm from in Ontario the downtown space was not friendly in the slightest, definitely not a safe space. But here on PEI everyone I have encountered as been incredibly friendly and polite and it makes me more willing to go into town and try new spaces without feeling uneasy.

"I have received so much support from faculty members in my four years of studying here. Any time I have asked a professor to help me with an assignment, or to re-explain concepts from their lectures I didn't quite understand during the office hours they have done so happily."

What would you tell a high-school student considering the UPEI History program?

I would tell a high school student that our History program is defined by closeness. I know the majority of our professors very well and I know that i'm always welcomed to pop by their office and talk to them, about course content or just the regular happenings of life. At a bigger university you're more likely to get lost in a sea of faces as professors are teaching far larger classrooms and have to tend to far more students between their lectures which would make it very hard to develop a relationship with them. But at UPEI this has never once been an issue for me.

How do you feel has UPEI prepared you for your future?

My plan is to get a Master's degree in history, a plan for which the professors in the history department at UPEI have prepared me well. They are always willing to tell us about their graduate school experience, where they went wrong and what they did well, so that we could be better prepared to go even further in our academic careers.