Margaret Graham

margaret.jpgGraduated 2019

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

Hometown: Douro-Dummer, ON

After SASAH: Language Assistant with Meddeas in Grazalema School in El Puerto de Santa María

What attracted you to this program?

What originally attracted me to the SASAH program was the challenge and interdisciplinarity. It was the first program I had found that seemed to value academic rigour in the arts and humanities and promised to let me explore this field in conjunction with my interest in Linguistics through its double major structure. Perhaps just as important to me was the clear enthusiasm the students and professors showed for the program when I first learned of it at Fall Preview Day.

"In my experience, all SASAH students possess a common zeal for education, a zeal which manifests in vastly different ways. This means that our classes were always filled with a variety of academic strengths, interests, and philosophies fueling our class discussions."

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

Life as a SASAH student was always changing, evolving. Because I was a student in the early years of its existence, the program was very much under construction. This meant I was able to have a hand in its improvement and a say in how it would progress. The SASAH program is for the students and it will continue to be so long as eager, motivated students are ready to take their education into their own hands, guided by the expertise of dedicated professors and supporting Western staff. Its small program size and the close rapport students can have with leading professors are unique aspects of SASAH which will continue to be of great advantage to SASAH students and a merit to the program.

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

In my experience, all SASAH students possess a common zeal for education, a zeal which manifests in vastly different ways. This means that our classes were always filled with a variety of academic strengths, interests, and philosophies fueling our class discussions. In this way, we were able to learn from one another and engage with concepts outside our own fields of study—topics ranging from genetic research and the associated ethics, to the application of psychology to 18th century painting. Variety was and will always be key to SASAH’s success and at the heart of this are the students. The motivated, supportive peers I found in SASAH were without doubt one of the greatest aspects of the program.

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

SASAH helped me realize the value of an arts education not simply through classes but by facilitating meetings and discussions with leaders in their field; these professionals employed their arts educations to accomplish a great deal in both their careers and their communities. With this exposure, I came to better appreciate the importance of soft skills in the current job market. Moreover, SASAH encouraged creative critical thinking in all our projects and it has led me to be more independent and confident in my professional life today.

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

SASAH allowed me to solidify my interest in language while exposing me to a number of fields in which I hadn’t previously had experience. SASAH’s encouragement to be globally engaged has pushed me to think and live internationally, which has led me most recently to the south of Spain where I am teaching English.

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

Take advantage of the talented individuals who surround you. Take chances on your own creativity and make the most of the connections you make in SASAH and the network of inspiring students and professionals who you have the rare opportunity to engage with.