Hannah Dempsey
*This interview was conducted during the winter 2020 term
My name is Hannah Dempsey, 3rd year Sociology major with a minor in Gender and Women's Studies (GWST) from the Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia.
What led you to choose your major(s)?
I chose Sociology as a major because people intrigue me. I love learning about people and how society is affected by things, how it works and how it doesn't.
Are you studying what you thought you would be when you were a grade 12 student? If not, what influenced the change?
I always knew I wanted to study people because it was the only real thing I felt interested in. I never had a specific career goal in high school, and still don't now, but I feel like diving into my courses has opened so many ideas of things I could do in the future. I now know more about what interestes me and what doesn't and have learned a lot in the process which I think is always valuable.
What has been your favorite class and why?
I really enjoy classes cross-listed between Sociology and GWST, which is perfect to have my major and minor. I love feeling like the classes I take are relevant and very real in day to day life. Classes about deviance, law and crime have been really interesting, the immigration class felt very important, as well as classes involving gender and health.
Can you describe a memorable experiential learning experience?
I took a Sociology class on immigrant integration in Canada where we produced a research project. Projects were based on questions or concerns brought forward from community projects of Immigration Services, so the work felt helpful and worthwhile. In my project we used ArcGIS software provided by Dal to produce a number of maps of the HRM and compared things like, where services are in relation to where immigrants are living and looked at whether there were ethnic enclaves or any other significant data that might help immigrant services in Halifax plan and disperse better.
What are you involved in outside the classroom?
Outside of school, I am involved in a sorority, the Dalhousie campus Lions Club and a choir with the organization Choirs for Change, as well as working part-time!
What’s been one of your favorite hands-on learning experiences?
As above!
What are some strategies you employ to balance your studies with other parts of your life?
To balance I try to maintain priorities of schoolwork while also acknowledging the need to do the things I love. I think that maintaining a balnace between school and self is important in being able to do well!
Advice for Students:
Is there anything you wish you’d known as a grade 12 student?
The main thing I wish I had knows in grade 12 was that I was not as ready for university as I thought I was! Starting university was a really tough transition for me, especially as someone who felt really grown up and prepared. Although it can be a hard transition, sticking it out is worth it and over time things will get better.
If you can put yourself in the shoes of these students, coming closer to the end of their high school career, what is one piece of advice you would like to pass on to them?
Make the most of the rest of your high school career. I miss it often and think it can be taken for granted. Spend lots of time with friends, work hard and be safe!