How did you decide to pursue a degree in SA? What interested you most about it?
Growing up, I was a bookworm and read many different genres. As I grew older, I found myself drawn to books related to social relationships and people facing adversity. It fascinated me to read about how different people view situations from diverse viewpoints. In high school, I took a Social Justice course, which allowed me to view society through a new lens, opening my eyes to different aspects of social life. This class taught me to question aspects of the social world rather than merely accept it for what it is. While looking through undergraduate programs, I noticed that the description of Sociology was very similar to what I was learning in my Social Justice course. During my first semester at SFU, I took “SA 150: Introduction to Sociology” with Professor Suzanna Crage and absolutely fell in love with it. I found it very intriguing to learn about society, and how to bring about social change. I loved that Sociology courses were always open to discussing and challenging social norms and other societal practices. Through pursuing a major in Sociology, I was able to unpack different aspects of society, which dictate how I view and respond to situations in my own life.  

What was your favourite SA course? Why?
My favourite SA course was SA 203: Violence in War and Peace. This course delved into different types of violence and the relationship between violence and structural inequalities in society. It also spoke to the cultural and societal differences in how people view and respond to violence. This course taught me to understand situations in social life through multiple lenses, understanding why and how everyone can view a situation differently. I really enjoyed reading through the course textbook "Violence in War and Peace: An Anthology," as each chapter told a different person's story of lived violence. I still find myself often reading chapters of this book as it has become a core part of my bookshelf. I learned that violence does not only pertain to physical abuse but stems beyond that and can occur at all levels of society, even institutionally. It taught me to critically analyze different life circumstances by considering the multiple lenses that can be applied to understand how each person's experiences differ based on their culture and socialization.

What’s something you’re proud of accomplishing during your time at SFU?
My undergraduate journey at SFU has been one of self-growth, and I am most proud of myself for stepping out of my comfort zone and venturing into new experiences. In my first year, I joined the FASS Friends and Mentors (FaM) mentorship program as a peer mentee, which really supported me through my transition from high school to university. I then served as a peer mentor in this program. This experience helped me meet like-minded individuals and create meaningful connections. It also helped me to step out of my comfort zone and take on a public speaking role when supporting the mentees while working with a team of other mentors. SFU had many opportunities that supported me in achieving my dream of becoming a teacher. Throughout my time at SFU, I have worked with the Faculty of Education’s Friends of Simon tutoring program as a tutor, where I took on a new role to support students who were new to Canada and knew little English. It taught me how to problem-solve and adapt how I teach to support each student’s needs, which I will carry with me into my future teaching practice. Lastly, my most fulfilling experience at SFU was working with the SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre in their Racing Readers afterschool program. I began as a Lead Volunteer in this program and am now the Program and Volunteer Supervisor for Racing Readers. This experience allowed me to act as the teacher of the afterschool program by creating and implementing lesson plans and supporting students to increase their literacy skills while also training volunteers. This experience helped me build my leadership skills and confidence in the classroom. I am incredibly grateful to have had all of these opportunities, as I feel that they really supported my self-growth. These experiences were the highlight of my undergraduate journey and really changed me as a person to be more confident and build skills that I will carry with me for many years to come.

What are your plans post graduation?
In September, I will start my Bachelor of Education through SFU’s Professional Development Program to become a teacher. Teaching has been my passion and dream since I was in grade two, so I am very excited to start this new chapter of my life. I hope to take my learning from my undergraduate degree with me into the classroom to better understand and support my students and the school community.

My time as an undergraduate student at SFU has been a wonderful experience that has supported me to grow as a person. The experiences throughout this four-year journey will always have a special place in my heart. My advice for anyone starting their undergraduate journey is not to be afraid to step out of their comfort zone and to try new things. This degree has challenged me in many ways but left an everlasting mark on how I respond to different situations in my life. It is a bittersweet moment to be ending this journey, but I am excited for the future journey as an SFU PDP student.