Up to the challenge

During her first-year anthropology class, Brittany Humphries read an article that made her very aware of her limited experience with other cultures.

“I really wanted to be able to have the tools to sort things out myself rather than having to trust others’ opinions,” she says.

During her time at Dalhousie, Brittany has learned just that. “In anthropology, you are studying a lot of really tough social issues, but you are also getting the skills and tools to ask your own questions and find your own answers.”

Growing up in Ottawa, Ont., Brittany wanted to branch out so she set her sights on Dalhousie, where she is graduating with a Bachelor of Arts with an Honours in Social Anthropology and a minor in French. During her degree, she had the opportunity to work as a student assistant for the Department of Political Science, had a paper published in Pangaea, the Undergraduate History Society’s journal, and volunteered as a tutor with the national literacy organization, Frontier College.

Last year, Brittany considered transferring to University of Ottawa after her mother became unexpectedly ill. Ultimately, the support and encouragement from her professors, the assistant dean and the Department of Political Science kept her here at Dalhousie. This was, and is, the sense of community she grew to love at the university: “They really did everything they could to support me through a difficult time.”

After graduation Brittany is headed to Québec City where she is enrolled in a Master of Science program at Université Laval studying pharmaceutical epidemiology. As part of her degree she has also been recruited to work on a research team studying the socioeconomic aspects of women and families affected by breast cancer.

“I am making a big change, going from anthropology to pharmacy/epidemiology and completing a master’s in my second language, French, but I am excited and prepared for the challenge.”

This article is part of our series of profiles on the graduates of the Class of 2015. These profiles are also published in the Convocation Keepsake which is distributed at Convocation ceremonies. For more information (including live webcasts), visit the Convocation website.