Honours Bachelor of Arts in History/ Concurrent Education
Marathon, ON

Community. Opportunity. These are the two qualities of Lakehead University I find the most admirable. My name is Patrick Schmidt, I am from the small town of Marathon, Ontario, and I graduated from the concurrent education program at Lakehead University in 2014. I chose Lakehead University because it was both close to my hometown and in a city I did not find intimidating. From the moment I arrived in residence, the staff worked very hard to ensure everyone felt like they were part of the community. My favourite part of residence was Res Sports, which is a series of organized sports that are played in competition with other residence houses. The academic side of the school community was equally supportive. With the combination of small classes and small departments, getting to know professors became inevitable. This was not something to fear. Professors helped me a great deal throughout my five years at Lakehead. They cared about my success and wanted me to be successful after I graduated. 

I graduated in May of 2014, and thanks to my professors I have found excellent opportunities. I have been accepted into graduate studies at Lakehead University for an MA in History starting in the Fall of 2014. More recently I was part of a three-week teaching practicum in China that was funded and organized by the University. This was an incredible opportunity to gain teaching experience at a Maple Leaf International High School, which has incredibly dedicated staff and students. In addition to teaching, having the opportunity to visit some of China’s treasures like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Terracotta Warriors made this an unforgettable experience. 

Biology

Thunder Bay, ON

"I chose Lakehead University because it's in my hometown and I wanted to get a great education. I knew that I would receive this and more at Lakehead. I also love Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario and look forward to starting my career here after I graduate.

Lakehead University provides students with a nice, small, and quiet learning environment that is suitable for your educational needs. The Biology program here is very challenging and interesting. There is a lot of work involved, but if you are dedicated and work hard, it will be very rewarding in the end.

Outside of classes, I like to go and relax with my friends in the Hangar, and when it's time to hit the books I like to go to the Study coffeehouse. "

Honours Bachelor of Social Work
Timmins, ON

I chose Lakehead because of my program and proximity to previous residence. Small class sizes are extremely valuable. Students have consistently shocked me at what incredible, thoughtful, intelligent, funny and special people they are. My experience was very rewarding. Especially the more interwoven I became in the school community.

I loved the Audacity Movement! The movement began simply by having conversations with everyone we could find on campus about this idea. The more people we talked with, the more ideas emerged and the more energy the movement took in. The purpose was to make our community feel like a real community, where people look out for each other and get creative together. (Call it “inclusive”, although that always feels like a “school” word and not the way we actually talk to each other.)

More info at: https://www.lakeheadu.ca/about/news-and-events/news/archive/2014/node/21058

http://www.universityaffairs.ca/new-anti-bullying-campaign-started-by-lakehead-students.aspx

Bachelor of Arts in Women's Studies

The profound knowledge of who you are and who you hope to be was the greatest gift the Women Studies program gave to me. Within the department, I was not a number but a person! I was a person who felt comfortable speaking up in class, and knowing that others would respect my thoughts and views. 

Working in the Residence Office at Lakehead University has become my daily norm. I have brought with me public speaking, research skills and an open mind to everyone that comes into our office. I thank the Women Studies Department for honing those skills and giving us different lenses in which to view the world around us.

 I am looking forward to the new challenges my Women Studies background has given me the confidence and skills to undertake!

HBA Economics (French Minor)
Sofia, Bulgaria

"As a first year student, I had hesitations about my major, so the most important class for me was Principles of Economics with Dr. Di Matteo and Terri Rizo. After this class I was sure that I wanted to graduate in Economics. I chose to study economics because I enjoy the topic. It is an extremely practical field; it addresses many important and interesting problems in modern society and provides an understanding of how the world works. Moreover, nowadays is maybe the best time to study economics, given current events. My favourite class so far is Health Economics. It is a very interesting topic and Dr. Di Matteo is an excellent professor - very knowledgeable and with unique humor. I also enjoyed Macroeconomics with Dr. Moazzami. That is a complicated class, but the professor teaches in a way you can easily learn, and remember the material. In Lakehead all of the professors keep the students up to date with information, with an accent on contemporary issues; it is very worthwhile to sit in classes.

Outside of economics, I really liked Dr. Driben's Socio-Cultural Anthropology class, great topic and great professor. This class gives you a new perspective and better understanding of the world. You learn more about the cultural variation among humans, and the impact of global economic and political processes on local cultural realities.

Although I usually study at home, the best place to study is the university library. It is nice and quiet, no distractions.

My advice to students: Do not skip lectures. When you go to your lectures you learn more, the professors give you more information, which you sometimes cannot find in the textbook, they explain the most difficult concepts better than any book and it is easier to prepare for the exams."

Civil Engineering
Bradford, Ontario

"Lakehead is full of professors and peers that have shaped and influenced my life both as a student and as a person.  The great thing about Lakehead is that the faculty loves what they do! Because they come to class wanting to teach and share their knowledge, students want to participate and learn.

I have been involved with the Engineering Student Society at Lakehead for two years and I have also gotten involved with Lakehead University’s Civil Society of Canadian Engineers. These groups have opened up my networking group as I can meet new people both in my program, at Lakehead and other engineering students across Ontario! Extra-curricular activities at Lakehead are always an amazing way to get active, meet new people, and embrace in the university experience.

I have participated in Lakehead’s GO ENG GIRL the past two years. This is a program that allows elementary and high school female students the opportunity to come to Lakehead and learn about the field of engineering."

Honours Bachelor of Environmental Management
Selkirk, ON

I was raised in a small town, a village rather, in Southern Ontario called Selkirk. My family later moved into a city, Brantford, where I truly started to grow up. People from these places don't leave very often; they finish school and settle down right where they grew up. I always wanted more than that. I wanted University. I wanted small classes and one-on-one time with my professors, the opportunity to make a difference, hands-on experience in my field, and I wanted adventure. I can gladly say that Lakehead has not been disappointing! 

Throughout my first year at Lakehead I got much more than I bargained for. I became part of something. There is an amazing atmosphere here at LU. The campus is large enough to encourage diversity, yet small enough that you're able to recognize people everywhere you go. It's a very unique community that I'm proud to be part of! The atmosphere around campus is influenced not only by the students, but by the professors as well. In every class that I have taken I have been beyond surprised with the experts that teach us. Not just a select few professors have impacted me; every single one has infected me with their enthusiasm for their fields and their genuine interest in the topics they teach, which in turn creates a desire for me to learn every day. They are always willing to spend extra time with their students outside of class if help is needed and they always encourage you to be curious and ask questions if you're having difficulty: they want you to succeed just as much as you do!

Even after completing only one year of classes so far, the knowledge that I have gained from my program has prepared me for exciting new opportunities in my field. This summer I have been working as a Summer Student Aquatic Wildlife Biologist for the Ministry of Natural Resources at the research centre on campus (Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research). I have had the privilege of working alongside experienced scientists studying spatial ecology in Northwestern Ontario. We have been monitoring the songbird populations in forested areas, which were once harvest or disturbed. This data gives us an idea of the biodiversity that has been restored after disturbances and if the regulations and guidelines that are implemented to emulate natural processes have been effective. With hopes of one day becoming a Wildlife Biologist, this summer job has given me the perfect opportunity to learn the basic skills that I will need to conduct research and further my career in the future. Without Lakehead none of this would be possible!

Native Nurses Entry Program
Constance Lake First Nation

I’m from Constance Lake First Nation. After having two kids (Girls; Valerie & Jewels) I often wondered about returning to school. I wanted to go back to school but was scared I wouldn’t succeed in the BScN program. The Native Nurses Entry program helped me recognize my strengths and weakness’, which has given me the courage to reach for my dreams. With the help from NNEP, which has helped me prepare for my future education to pursue my BScN degree, my dreams of becoming a nurse are within reach.