Forestry 
Etobicoke, ON 

I chose Lakehead, Thunder Bay campus, due to the unique program I am in, but also due to its scenic campus, great entrance scholarship opportunities, and the greater distance from my hometown which provided me with the opportunity to create a whole new social life and live on my own.

The best part about Lakehead is its ability to adapt to every student’s individual needs. The influence of my professors is also seen in the involvement I have in our Natural Resources Student Society club as the president. Throughout the year, the club puts on a series of events for the Natural Resources Management students to provide social interactions between the different year levels and their professors as well as educational benefits. With this process, my professors continued to stand by me and aid in the preparations for large events and the direction the club must take to benefit the students the most. 

I had the opportunity to go to Finland in my third year field school for two weeks, which was an experience like no other. This was my first trip to Europe and I'm extremely glad I was able to go through school. It made it a more beneficial experience because Finland has a landscape similar to Canada to which I could apply my forestry background, but I also got to tour around Finland, be a part of its culture and have the time of my life through a school event. 

Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry
Etobicoke, ON

I chose Lakehead, Thunder Bay campus, due to the exclusive program I am in, but also due to its scenic campus, great entrance scholarship opportunities, and the greater distance from my hometown which provided me with the opportunity to create a whole new social life and live on my own.

Living in residence my first year allowed me to truly see what Lakehead had to offer, both socially and academically. I met a lot of new people, was in a new town, attending school with a completely different schedule than high school and had the time of my life. My second year, I became a Resident Assistant, which provided me with the financial backing I desired, social interactions with my peers and I was able to maintain my academic standing. My third year brought me into the world of campus clubs and recreation. I became the president of my Faculty’s club and participated in the campus recreation soccer league.

The best part about Lakehead is its ability to adapt to every student’s individual needs; compromises can be made for appropriate situations; this is one of the reasons I love my program as well. To become a Resident Assistant, compromises had to be made and my professors were able to make those exceptions for my appropriate situation. The influence of my professors is also seen in the involvement I have in our Natural Resources Student Society club as the president. Throughout the year, the club puts on a series of events for the Natural Resources Management students to provide social interactions between the different year levels and their professors as well as educational benefits. With this process, my professors continued to stand by me and aid in the preparations for large events and the direction the club must take to benefit the students the most. With their aid and help from student volunteers, this year was the best the club has seen in a long time and I am looking forward to making next year even better.

Field school in Finland was an experience like no other. The Natural Resources Management faculty is currently looking into many international opportunities for its students and outreach programs to draw more students into the faculty. I had the opportunity to go to Finland in my third year field school for two weeks and I loved it. This was my first trip to Europe and I'm extremely glad I was able to go through school. It made it a more beneficial experience because Finland has a landscape similar to Canada to which I could apply my forestry background, but I also got to tour around Finland, be a part of its culture and have the time of my life through a school event. 

 The opportunity to join student life activities is so readily accessible at Lakehead. Whether it is through a club of interest or relative to your program, or even through campus recreation, there is something for everyone. This year I played campus recreation soccer once a week and due to my busy schedule, it provided me with the opportunity of physical exercise and a social game with some competitive edge. Next year I intend on joining the campus rec. hockey league as well since there is minimal commitment, low cost and a lot of benefits to my lifestyle. Everything I have done at Lakehead has prepared me for the future. School has taught me time management and the ability to react properly in stressful situations. Being a Resident Assistant taught me valuable life lessons and becoming the president of the Natural Resources Student Society has given me the perspective of a project manager, leader and benefactor for the club to help future students. The result of anyone’s four years in University is the product of the hard work you put into it and thus far, it’s everything I intended it to be.

Electrical Engineering
Kingston, Ontario 

"Since I was very young I was always interested in studying at Lakehead University because my father graduated from Lakehead University. I chose Lakehead University due to its small class sizes, friendly atmosphere and because it was the only university where I could earn an engineering diploma and engineering degree all within 4 years. Since Lakehead has the dual diploma and degree program, it effectively prepares you for the future as you receive practical hands on experience as well as theoretical knowledge.

I have met many friends and have had a very good experience with the classes and professors at Lakehead. I enjoyed that I had very small classes so that my professors had the chance to help me in class and out of class. The professors often would help me without making an appointment and it didn’t even have to be on a topic for their class.

Lakehead has a variety of extracurricular activities to be involved in. I joined the LEAD team and helped organize and run orientation events as well as other student events throughout the year. I was also the second year electrical engineering student endowment fund representative and helped out in many other engineering events throughout the year. It is very important for me to be involved in these various clubs and activities as it allows me to meet new people and help other students. Most of all, it allows me to be a part of the university community which is nice as I am very proud to say that I am a Lakehead University engineering student."

Environmental Management
Thunder Bay, Ontario 

“I came to Lakehead in 2006, and during my time at Lakehead in the Faculty of Forestry and the Forest Environment (now Faculty of Natural Resources Management), I had a chance to explore several options for my path within the larger forestry field. I settled on an interest in using technology, aerial images and computer algorithms, to try and explore new ways of understanding the forest. This interest carried over into my undergraduate thesis project and after graduation, I gained employment with KBM Resources Group in Thunder Bay and have been working in the field of remote sensing ever since. My degree allowed me to gain employment in town in my field of interest and provides new and interesting challenges everyday. Without the ability to tailor my degree to my interests, I never would have been able to learn the skills necessary to get the job I have now.”

HBA History/Concurrent Education
Kingston, ON

"Lakehead University is very unique in the sense that students are known by name and can have very personable relationships with their professors. The people in Thunder Bay are very friendly, and the atmosphere at Lakehead is always enjoyable. The history program at Lakehead has really great professors. They are more than willing to help out and are very encouraging. I also like the variety of classes that are available in history. It's important to get to know your professors and create good relationships with them early. Get to know your classmates; it's amazing the type of friendships that come out of sitting beside the same person in one of your classes.

I always study at the library; it's the best place for a quiet environment with no distractions. The Outpost and The Study are great hangout spots! Outside of class, I enjoy reading, taking Yoga classes at the hanger, going snowboarding on Lakehead's "Snowboard Bus," dancing, and going to the Outpost with my friends. Lakehead hockey games are also a good source of entertainment."

Honours Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies & English
Windsor, ON

The Women’s Studies program at Lakehead University introduced me to theories and concepts that challenged me to think about how human beings relate and interact with one another. What drew me to the program was that there was such a wide variety of classes that identified and discussed real life past and current issues/events regarding gender/sexuality and human rights. The program challenged me to think about my role as a human being in society and what I can do to help contribute to achieving equality for people of all different backgrounds. The professors in the Women’s Studies department contributed to my success in the fact that they each possess a wide depth of knowledge and were truly invested in helping all of their student’s achieve their academic goals. The classes and assignments were structured to prepare me for my future endeavours and I would recommend the program with very high regard.

Honours Bachelor of Arts in English
Laird, ON

I chose Lakehead for a few reasons.  The first was because it had a great wrestling program, which I competed on for the first three years of my undergrad. The second was because campus is just so cozy - it's just the right size with the perfect amount of wildlife and trees and it made me feel at home.  And finally because I had heard wonderful things about it and because I knew that at a smaller University I wouldn't just be a number.  The fact that all of my professors know me by name and I can get one-on-one time with them to discuss issues, questions, or just academics or life in general is fantastic.   

One of the things I really like about student life at Lakehead is that everyone is in the same boat - being so far from home - that everyone is super friendly and always game to have more people at any event.  You can walk into almost any space on campus and see a friendly face or, even if you don't know anyone you are welcomed with open arms and no one is bothered if you just sit down and strike up a conversation with people who had been total strangers.  

This year is the first full year where I've actually had time to do more extra curricular activities as sports was a large part of my life before this. In September I got involved with the ESA and at the beginning of the winter semester started my own club and publication. It became apparent to me that Lakehead did not have an outlet for student academic work.  If students wanted to publish something they would have to look outside of the University for a venue - which as an undergrad, is oftentimes very difficult or down right impossible.  As such, I decided to create "The Post: Lakehead University's Undergraduate Research Journal" a sorely needed venue for undergrads to submit their academic research for potential publish. It has been, and will continue to be, a lot of work but with (a lot) of help from multiple professors, students, LUSU, and other university departments it is coming together and the first issue should be published this coming fall. It is exciting and invigorating to have such a supportive community for ideas like this.  At Lakehead, if you can think it, you can make it happen. 

Lakehead is a truly fantastic school. It encourages innovation, creativity, sustainability, and inclusion.  While being in class and learning is fantastic and obviously prepares students for a future in their prospective careers, it is the extra curricular aspects of Lakehead, the bits outside of the classroom, that prepare students for the future in ways that bigger or more centrally located schools cannot even compare to. I wouldn't trade my Lakehead experience for the world. 

Bachelor of Education
Belle River, ON

Lakehead University is truly a beautiful school. The landscape surrounding the school is absolutely gorgeous, with wildlife that comes right onto campus. The staff was genuine and sincere, and the students who go there are absolutely wonderful. There were so many times when I felt truly cared for by my professors. Jamie Gerow was my faculty advisor, and he was one of the most caring people I’ve met through my educational journey. He truly cares about his students and their wellbeing as well as their academic success.

Student life at Lakehead was also phenomenal. There were many times that the classroom became a fun atmosphere where we felt like a group of friends casually hanging out rather than a group of students and a professor in a lecture room. One such memory took place in music class. We were to get into groups, choose a song, and play this song on instruments called boom-whackers. Each group not only mastered their song, but also went so far as to dress up for that class. For example, my group played ‘Under The Sea’ from the Little Mermaid, and we dressed up as the cast from the movie, including Ariel (Jessica DeBruin), Sebastian (Julia DiGravio), Scuttle (Mary Power), Flounder (Myself), King Triton (Hootan Vani), Ursula (Amanda S), and we even had seaweed (Annalise Wendler)!!

Our class became a close-knit community within a week of meeting each other. We leaned on each other for support, studied as a team, and spent most of our free time together. Essentially, we became a family.