Jasia Carroll-Woolery

jasia.jpgGraduated 2019

Double Major in French Studies and the School for Advanced Studies in Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Waterloo, ON

After SASAH: Bachelor of Education Teacher-Candidate at UBC Vancouver (French Immersion and International Baccalaureate (IB) Secondary Teacher)

What attracted you to this program?

The interdisciplinary nature of the program! I love the Arts and Humanities and struggled to narrow down a choice when applying to university programs. SASAH allowed me to explore multiple subjects, including English Lit and Writing, Theatre, Philosophy, Digital Humanities, and still allowed me to complete a cohesive program in four years.

"SASAH allowed me to explore multiple subjects, including English Lit and Writing, Theatre, Philosophy, Digital Humanities, and still allowed me to complete a cohesive program in four years."

What are your thoughts about life as a SASAH student? What makes it unique?

The first thing that comes to mind is the SASAH floor in Ontario Hall! Having the majority of my peers living together really allowed us to collaborate, connect, and support each other through each assignment and each exam. We still reconnect and try to meet up whenever we can!

How did your relationships with other SASAH students positively affect your experience at Western overall?

I don't think I would have made it through Western without the SASAH cohort. Every up and down we weathered together; they are intertwined with my Western experience.

How has SASAH prepared you for the job market and/or graduate school?

SASAH set me up quite well for Teacher's College. French teachers are needed all across Canada, especially here in BC, and my SASAH degree allows me to think outside the box when developing lesson and unit plans. I integrate hands-on learning wherever and whenever possible, I encourage my students to form connections with their other courses, and I offer them new challenges to push them towards their academic goals.

What lessons and skills contributed to your success after you graduated?

The ability to network and think beyond the binary. SASAH participates in a lot of professionalization activities which I'm employing now as I apply for teaching positions across the country and internationally.

As an experienced graduate, do you have any advice for current SASAH students?

Explore your interests! University is a chance to find your interests, and SASAH gives you the flexibility to do so, so take the time to try something completely new. Take that Italian course! Join Creativitea! Attend an Arts crawl! You might even discover your passion.