McKena's Year in Review: A Reflection on Work, Classes, and Study Abroad
Apr 21, 2020
To say the least, this is not how I expected my third year to end. Even though my time on campus was cut short, I had an amazing year and I’m one step closer to receiving my B.A in English and History. Here are a few of the highlights of this year that I want to share with you!
Student Worker Position(s) I have wanted to work in the admissions office as a student worker for multiple semesters now, and this year I finally got to work in the office. It has been exciting learning about the admission process at King’s, giving tours to prospective students, sharing my story as a King’s student, working with the super fun admissions staff, writing blog posts, and even organizing storage places. I have gained so much working in the office and it was definitely a highlight of my year! I also got to work in the pop-up bookstore for the first couple weeks of each semester which was great because I got to interact with many other students at King’s.
Living off-campus For the first two years at King’s I have lived in residence, both in the tower and in the apartments. This year however, I lived off campus, about 10-15 minutes away, with one of my previous roommates from second year. It was an adjustment not being able to wake up 30 minutes before class and still getting there on time. I also had to be more intentional with getting together with my friends since we all no longer lived within a floor of each other. But overall, it was a good new experience for me and made me reflect on the value of friendships.
Justice Fellowship I participated in the Justice Fellowship this year which consisted of five courses that focused on social justice through a variety of lenses and experiences. These courses included a theology, two social sciences, a history, and a directed study. From being quite involved with the Micah Centre in my second year, this fellowship allowed me to dig deeper into social justice with a group of fellow students who also shared the interest and passion that I could have deep conversations with. I got to make new friends and strengthen relationships through this program as well!
Climate Rally at the Legislature Participating in a rally with thousands of Albertans at the Legislature was unreal. I loved being able to stand in a community of people who share the same beliefs and values as me as a concerned individual. This was the rally that Greta Thunberg spoke at which was so cool to be at. My friend and I also got to be on the news because they interviewed us on our reaction to the amount of people and how we think change will happen.
Quest Mexico As part of the fellowship program, I got to go to Mexico during the reading break to learn about some of the social justice issues there. I participated in the Honduras water project in my second year and learned lots about Honduras, so it was interesting to learn about Mexico as well. The trip was super impactful as we got to hear from many speakers, see many sites, and discuss as a group about what we were learning. I made new friends, both from King’s and Mexico, on this trip and got to strengthen my relationships with others. It is a trip I am still reflecting on and will be for a long time. I also liked getting the opportunity to personally reflect on the differences and similarities between Honduras and Mexico.
Online classes How is this a highlight you may ask? Well I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a favourite moment of the year, having to switch to online classes has really made me realize how much I value education and being able to be educated in a classroom environment. I miss not being able to see my peers in the class, talk face-to-face, and pop by professors’ offices just to say hello! It has been a challenge to be motivated to finish and procrastination has been a huge issue. But, I do appreciate that I can continue to learn amongst this confusing time and that my professors are doing everything they can to help me succeed. Without technology, this wouldn't have been possible. It has been a rollercoaster, but it adds to the story of my university years!
I could write much more, but these were the top highlights of my year. I can’t wait to see what next year brings.
