Sarah Davis
Honours Bachelor of Science in Geology
Newmarket, ON
My journey to Thunder Bay is somewhat convoluted as I arrived at Lakehead with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Brock University in St Catharines.
Ever since I was a child I had felt a passion for all things scientific. Despite this long-standing interest, I chose Theatre as my first course of study. I had attended a School for the Arts since grade 6 and had always loved movies and acting. In high school, science and math teachers didn’t give arts students credit for being able to handle “harder” courses like chemistry and calculus and so my aptitude in these areas was neglected. As a result my grades in those subject areas were not high enough to go into a science program. So I focussed on theatre thinking I wouldn’t be successful in sciences.
After I graduated from Brock, I spent two years living with my mum and working a minimum wage retail job. I felt that I was letting myself down and missing my potential so I decided I was going to do what I truly loved and go back to school for science.
I took some math and science courses online to upgrade my prerequisites and started applying to universities for Geology. I chose Lakehead because, after emailing and meeting professors from various universities, Lakehead seemed like the university with all the opportunities I desired. It also was the only university I saw that lived up to my expectations of the education I expected.
Thunder Bay is a long way from home, but when I was choosing a program I wanted to make sure I got the best education I could find. I was surprised to learn that the requirements for the geology program were less than those of other universities in Ontario, but quickly came to realise that it’s not because of lack of talent, but because it’s difficult to convince students to come this far north and away from family. And certainly the resources available at Lakehead are some of the best available to geology students. It is a perfect locale for this area of study as the natural environment here is right at your fingertips, not to mention breathtakingly beautiful! Once you get here, it is so hard to leave!
The professors in the Geology program are some of the leading researchers in the world in their respective focuses. This level of talent and experience not only benefits the students, but also provides opportunities to learn from some of their colleagues when they are brought in for short courses and seminar series. Dr. Hill’s colleague who is one of the scientists in charge of the Mars Rover project gave one seminar. A well-respected Geophysicist, Alan King, gave another short course.
Perhaps it was the excitement of my professors in the subjects they teach, or perhaps it was the enthusiasm of the students in my program, but I cannot remember another time or place in my life where I’ve felt more accepted and like I belonged. The people here are my family away from home.
In my fourth year I took a course in Ore Petrology with Shannon Zurevinski. She is a Lakehead graduate and just couldn’t stay away from Thunder Bay! While she was teaching our class one day, she mentioned something about Geoforensics. I jumped on this idea and started asking her all sorts of questions about it and what opportunities there were in this field. Geoforensics is a relatively new area of study, but she gave me a book to read and provided me with every opportunity to study this subject further in another class she taught me. I have now found the exact path that I want to take in my career as a geologist.
Student life at Lakehead has some similarities to other universities (as I mentioned previously, I attended Brock University), but I find it to be very different overall. Obviously there’s the students union, the fundraisers, pub parties, and the support systems in place. But Lakehead also provides opportunities to experience many other parts of life outside university. For example: dog sledding, hiking, skiing, even the chance to attend a pow wow on top of Mount McKay, one of the most beautiful places I’ve been.
In every program, there are student groups to help get people involved in the school, with each other and to keep us up-to-date and involved with the real-world in our respective studies. I belong to GALU, the Geology Association of Lakehead University, where students in our program get together on social nights, field trips and fundraising. I also belong to the Lakehead student chapter of the Society of Economic Geologists, and several industry societies that have been brought to our attention by our professors. These groups bring the students closer together and provide opportunities to gain lifelong friendships and support when so many of us are far from our families.
For anyone pursuing post-secondary studies I cannot recommend Thunder Bay and Lakehead University highly enough. Here you will enjoy the pristine natural beauty of Lake Superior and its environs, as well as you will become a member of a tightknit and supportive network of students and faculty who make up the Lakehead family. It is an opportunity not to be overlooked.