Meet Dawson D. 

Psychology and Anthropology Major

How are you feeling about graduating?

Excited and nervous! It feels weird to be leaving the structure of school behind, but I am excited to continue to learn more about what interests me and see where I end up!

Talk about your work term with AWE! What was your role and responsibilities? What did you learn?

I completed two work terms with Arts Work Experience, one with the Faculty of Arts as the International Student Engagement Intern and the other with the City of Edmonton as a Sustainability and Outreach Summer Student. As the International Student Engagement Intern I created engagement opportunities for International Students in the Faculty of Arts and as the Sustainability and Outreach Summer Student I educated community members on composting and waste reduction. Through applying for and completing both of these work terms I learned the importance of putting yourself out there and trying out different experiences while completing your degree even if it wasn’t what you expected to do. Through both of these experiences I found a true passion for working with people and in community engagement and development which is something that would have taken me much longer to discover without AWE.

What are some of the key things you learned at the U of A?  

I learned that your degree is what you make it. Beyond the 120 credits that you need to graduate there are so many great opportunities to get involved and further build your skills through work integrated learning, certificates, getting involved in clubs, and so many other amazing things! Make the most of your degree and all the opportunities available to you at the University of Alberta!

Do you have any advice for current students?

Say yes to new opportunities and take advantage of all the great resources on campus! Everyone is here to help you succeed and to support you as you continue to try new things and finish your degree. It can be scary to take that first step and to try something new, but you will not regret it!