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Building confidence through Truro Start

Dalhousie has always been a quiet presence in Rei Mooney’s life; both her parents are alum and living locally she was familiar with campus.  It was that sense of familiarity that made the transition to university feel more manageable for the Bachelor of Arts Truro Start student.

Truro Start allows students to begin their Dalhousie degree on the Agricultural Campus in Truro with a close-knit group of students along with dedicated resources and support. Students build a strong foundation in their chosen field before transitioning to Halifax for their second and final years.

“There’s something valuable in allowing yourself to begin at a place that feels known and grounding,” explained Rei.  “If I could offer any advice, especially to someone who feels a bit uncertain or anxious about their next step in academia, it would be that it’s okay to start small. Sometimes the most meaningful opportunities are closer than you expect.”

Rei is pursuing a BA in Classics, a field that brings together several long-standing interests in her life including literature, history and language.

“I find it compelling returning to works like Homer’s epics and finding that, even after thousands of years, they still speak to fundamental questions about human nature, memory and meaning today,” she explained.

This past year, Rei had the opportunity to work with Dr. Greg Cameron, Associate Professor of Political Science and Rural Studies, on a research project looking at the Berlin Wall pieces on the Truro Campus.

“As a first-year student, being involved in research and contributing toward a published paper so early on in my studies has been a really meaningful experience for me,” Rei said.  “Our work focuses on what these pieces might mean today, so many years after the fall of the Wall in 1989.”

The Berlin Wall pieces are located behind Haley Institute next to the Pollinator Meadow.  These pieces of history have been a part of the Faculty of Agriculture since 2011.

“While pieces of the Berlin Wall are scattered around the world, there hasn’t been much academic attention placed on them outside of Germany itself, so this project is a way of starting that conversation,” she added.

In terms of the future, Rei hopes to continue along her path into further academic pursuits to eventually become a professor.

“If I’m fortunate, I’d love to write as well. More than anything though I want to spend my life in conversation with these ideas and share the sense of discovery Classics gives me, with others; because once you’ve felt passion, it’s hard not to want others to feel the same way, too.”