I still remember the first day of my first year as a Carleton student. I had all these queasy feelings in my stomach – I didn’t have very many friends with me at Carleton, the campus was much larger than my high school and there were tons of people everywhere. On top of all that, I also had  some not-so-positive pre-conceived notions of what university would be like. But I knew that I wasn’t alone and that many of us ‘first years’ were feeling the same way. I started to take advantage of the support services available for students transitioning from high school to university. Over time, I grew to love the campus and its busyness and I quickly made lots of new friends and came to realize that my professors weren’t monsters (in fact they were all very approachable and supportive). I came to love everything about Carleton. However, things really began to change for me when I started to get involved. In high school, getting involved in clubs and activities was what defined me. I hoped that I would have the same opportunities to get involved at university. And I did! I got involved as much as I could and I am so, so, so glad that I did. I got to meet so many wonderful people through different offices and clubs and I got to participate and help out with many initiatives around campus. It was things like these that made me excited about getting up in the morning!

I truly think I would have been in a very different place right now if I hadn’t come to Carleton. Through the many opportunities I was given, the people I met and the many things that I learned along the way, Carleton helped me grow into the person I am today. Carleton has been an integral part of my success thus far and I know it will continue to be in the future. It really is bittersweet to be graduating, part of me wishes I could stay here forever. At the same time, I’m very excited about what the future holds for me. I’m excited to take all of the valuable things I have learned on this journey and apply them in the ‘real world’. Carleton has given me so much and I can’t wait to give it all back!

Thank you to everyone who has been there and supported me from day one – my family, especially my parents, my close friends and all of my professors. I couldn’t have done it without you.

As I mentioned in my last blog post, I went to Guatemala as part of the Alternative Spring Break program at Carleton University. I could go on for pages and pages describing my experiences in Guatemala, but I will try to keep this blog post as short as I can!

After travelling for a good 20 hours or so, we finally arrived at a small village in the Guatemalan Highlands called Aldea el Novillero, where we would be living/working at the local school for the week. The weather was sunny and very hot during the days, but at nights, it would get very cold (I wore seven layers to bed to stay warm). When we first arrived we toured the village and met the community. The people were all so welcoming and friendly, it was such a great feeling!

Throughout the week, we helped out in a variety of areas. Our main project was to construct a sports court at the school with the help of local foremen. We dug up and leveled the ground, moved gravel and did lots of cement work. There was a lot of blood, sweat and tears (literally) but it was all worth it in the end. Seeing the completed sports court elicited a feeling in all of us that I can’t even begin to describe. In fact, just a couple of days ago, we received pictures of the kids playing on the court. It made me so happy to see that!

Other things we did throughout the week included helping out at the local daycare every afternoon, touching up the paint around the school and teaching English. Teaching was definitely one of my favourite things. We taught English to students in grades four, five and six. The kids were all so enthusiastic about learning English it amazed me. They also taught me some K’iche (the local dialect) and helped me with my Spanish. We also painted a big mural at the school which had a Carleton Raven on it!

Throughout the week, we ate at a local family’s home. Many of us were scared of getting sick from the food, but, as it turns out, we loved it! A lot of us definitely pulled out the “this is better than my mom’s food!” They made every effort to make sure we ate a variety of nutritious and tasty foods. One night, we got to learn how to make the tortillas, our favourite food item. It was so fun! This particular family also allowed all the girls in the group to try on their traditional Mayan clothing; we felt so honoured.

I don’t know if you remember, but I took Spanish last semester as an elective credit at Carleton. I am so glad I did it. I practiced so much of my Spanish in Guatemala. I would practice Spanish with the local people at every opportunity. I have grown to love the language and have decided that I want to continue learning it. That is one of my goals for this summer!

As part of the ‘community service learning’ aspect of our trip, we engaged in critical reflection sessions every night. These reflection sessions were what got many of us through the week. We discussed our fears, challenges and happy thoughts too. We played team-building games and did lots of activities. I also took the time to journal everyday – while pictures are great to capture memories, they don’t capture my thoughts.

During the week, we had the opportunity to visit Corazon del Bosque, an eco-tourism site that was created to promote the K’iche culture and for social and economic development. We also went to the famous Lake Atitlan! We hiked up these amazing mountains and saw the volcanoes surrounding the beautiful lake. It was surreal. I wish I could stay in that moment forever. It was absolutely breathtaking!

My favourite thing we did all week was playing with the kids. I took every opportunity I had available to spend time with them. I played sports, did activities and even participated in their physical education class. I told all the kids my name was ‘Mish’, and everywhere I would go in the village and its surrounding area, I would hear “Mish, Mish!” Hearing my name made me so overjoyed, tears would always be on the verge of coming out. It warmed my heart.

Many of the children come to school only because they get a cup of oatmeal (sometimes the only meal they will get that day). At first I was upset, frustrated and sad when I realized how little these children have and how much I have. However, I quickly came to realize that really, they have everything. Despite our differences, the children and community members embraced and loved us like we were one of their own. They welcomed us with ‘opening ceremonies’ filled with song and dance and they said goodbye to us during the ‘closing ceremonies’, a very emotional event where they presented us with gifts. They are full of love and happiness and that is all that matters. They are the happiest and most loving people I have ever met. I really, truly believe they have more than I will ever have.

Even though it had only been a week, coming home was tough. The people of Aldea el Noverillo, Guatemala are some of the kindest people I have ever met and they will always be in my heart. I grew so attached to the culture, the people and their way of life. I know that my experience in Guatemala does not end here. Many of us plan on going back one day and, until then, our group has decided we are going to continue fundraising to support the community. I am also keeping in touch with some of the teachers I met at the school, it is so wonderful talking to them.

Being in Aldea el Novillero taught me so many things, things I would not have learned any other way. I grew great deal from this experience and truly pushed the boundaries of my physical, mental and emotional capabilities – I am proud of myself for that. I really think everyone should have an opportunity to do something like this! If you are coming to Carleton next year, or are already here, do Alternative Spring Break. It will change your life!

Happy New Year! Hope you all had a wonderful winter break.

My last (ah!) semester has been going well thus far. I am taking some pretty interesting courses, including a brand new course in Biology called ‘Advanced Human Anatomy and Physiology’. A couple classes in, and I love it so far! I’m also taking a very neat course called ‘Bioethics’. In this class we get to discuss topics in the science/medical field and the ethics surrounding them.

This February, I’m going on a trip to Guatemala as part of the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program at Carleton! ASB is a service-learning initiative, which connects students to local, national and international organizations and allows them to engage in community service and critical reflection. It’s another great way to get involved at Carleton while at the same time helping to make a difference in the lives of others. I’ll be sure to update you on all my experiences when I come back!

Here’s a little inspirational quote that made me smile and I thought I would share: “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over, it became a butterfly”.

Keep smiling,

Amisha

I am done all of my classes for this semester, except one (for which I have a final exam coming up). As I mentioned in one of my previous blog posts, I took a lot of non-science courses this semester in order to complete my degree requirements. These classes allowed me to broaden my studies and learn many new things (besides science). I got to experience a whole other side of Carleton! I also met so many great students from other programs, which was really nice.

A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to speak at the ‘Women in STEM Celebration’ presented by Carleton University’s Faculty of Science. I worked on the ‘Women in Science’ project with the Office of the Dean of Science this past summer and was asked to present my findings at the event (which took place at the Museum of Science and Technology). I had the chance to meet and network with so many amazing, successful and inspiring people. It was such a wonderful experience and I am so grateful to have been a part of the event!

Also on the topic of women in science, I am now officially a CU-WISE (Carleton University Women in Science and Engineering) officer. My official title is ‘advertising officer’ and I will be helping to ‘spread the word’ about all of the super cool CU-WISE events!

Happy Holidays!

Keep smiling,

Amisha

It’s been a really busy semester! I am taking five classes and doing my 4th year honours thesis project. To complete my elective requirements, I had to take some non-science classes, so I am taking American Sign Language and Spanish. I love them! I had a conversation with a friend the other day in sign language and it was such a neat experience. One doesn’t realize how difficult it is to communicate without speaking until that’s your only choice. My thesis is also going well; it’s been a very interesting project so far. My topic is: circadian variations in c-FOS (a protein) expression in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus and the role of ghrelin.

As part of my mentoring position at the Science Student Success Centre, I have been asked numerous times about opportunities to get involved at Carleton. My most important piece of advice: read those MyCarleton e-mails! Those e-mails are the best way to find out about most volunteer (and employment) opportunities at Carleton. Also, if you are interested in getting involved outside of Carleton, MyCareer has a comprehensive list of opportunities available.

Next weekend I am going to the Ontario Universities Fair in Toronto as a Carleton Science student representative. I am so excited to talk to students and their parents! If you are a grade 11 or 12 student in the GTA make sure to stop by! I look forward to meeting you.

Talk to you soon – keep smiling!

Amisha

I hope you are all enjoying the wonderful weather we are having here in Ottawa! One more month of summer left, and then it’s back to school! This summer has been like no other – I feel like I’ve accomplished quite a bit. There’s still a couple of things I wasn’t able to get to this summer – namely, skydiving and white water rafting. These will have to wait until next summer (they will be a graduation present to myself!).

With school coming up, I can feel my stress level starting to change. Nonetheless, I am so excited for my last year! Remember how I said in my last blog that I needed to take a couple of electives this year? Well, as part of those electives I am going to take two languages! I am going to be taking American Sign Language and Spanish. I am unbelievably excited, yet nervous at the same time. I’m already trilingual, so *hopefully* I will soon be multilingual!

My ‘women in science’ project has been going very well. I have been working on designing a booklet for high school educators that highlights the different outreach programs that exist in Ottawa for girls and women in science. I am really enjoying this summer position, as it’s given me the opportunity to explore something completely different.

This past week, I had the opportunity to be a part of the Life After High School initiative, which is a pilot program run by Social Research and Demonstration Corporation and funded by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities. It’s a program that will provide Grade 12 students at select Ontario schools with practical support in applying for post-secondary education and financial aid. I was interviewed about my experience in applying to university, about my scholarship and how it has assisted with my studies, as well as what my university experience has been like thus far. The video of my interview, as well as many others interviews, will be available through the online workshop the students take part in. I’m very excited for Ontario students to see this video, and I’m glad I got to be a part of it!

In about 2 weeks, I am going to be moving in to residence for one week, as part of my position for the Math Matters Study Group Leader/Residence Monitor. Math Matters is a program designed for students entering their first year at Carleton in a program that has a math component. It’s a great way to ease the transition into university-level math.

Anyways, I’ll talk you all later!

Keep smiling!

I have also been working full-time with the Office of the Dean of Science at Carleton. I have been looking at the topic of ‘Women in Science’, researching the status of women in science in Canada, what factors contribute to women’s under-representation in science, what programs exist throughout Canada and internationally that target these problems as well as what we can do in the Ottawa area. I had the opportunity to present my research findings to a group of women from the Ottawa area, including the President and CEO of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation. It has been such a neat and interesting project thus far, and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it!

The class schedule for the 2011-2012 school year came out last week, so I have been busy planning my classes for my 4th and last year at Carleton! This upcoming year I have to take a lot of non-science classes, so I am finding it quite difficult as I really don’t know what I want to take! I think I am going to try a variety of subjects, including history and political science. Why not try something new? It’s the perfect opportunity!

On the topic of it being my last year at Carleton, I went to convocation a couple weeks ago to see my good friend graduate. I was so proud of her! I can’t wait until my convocation!

During the summer, I have also been spending some time researching what I want to do after graduation. I’m looking into a lot of graduate schools and also thinking about applying to medical school. Making decisions is so tough – I’ll keep you updated!

Until next time,

Amisha!

This school year has been incredible! I don’t even know where to begin…

Being a Student Success Peer Helper with the Student Experience Office was an amazing experience and I recommend it to anyone who wants to get involved. I loved working on different projects such as CU Amazing Race and the recruitment portfolio for Summer Orientation Leaders. This position also gave me the chance to help out at Ravenspalooza and IKEA student madness in September, the Annual CU Holiday Skate and with various Frost Week initiatives! Through this experience, I met so many new people and made friendships that will truly last a lifetime. I am so grateful for this opportunity!

Volunteering another year as a student mentor with the Science Student Success Centre proved to be amazing. I met so many new volunteers this past year. It was also very exciting to see the Centre grow and expand to include many new projects. I also had the opportunity to design a study group training manual that will hopefully be in use very soon! I am looking forward to being a senior mentor next year!

A couple of months ago, I was asked to join a benchmarking team with the Faculty of Science. I am so glad that I did, because it has been a wonderful experience thus far! It’s a really neat project, that I am very glad to be a part of.

I also loved working with the Undergraduate Recruitment Office this past year – helping out at CU Day, the Ontario Universities Fair in Toronto and the March Break Program. I love talking to students and their parents about all the great things Carleton has to offer!

Some other highlights of this past year also include: participating in Carleton Serves, the science ski trip and taking part in the Carleton University student flash mob. I also enjoyed attending the Raven’s basketball games, the Rock the Vote concert and, of course, hanging out with friends at Oliver’s! I also had the amazing opportunity of attending the Donor’s Reception in December and the Faculty of Science Dean’s Honours List reception in February!

One last highlight: my research! A couple of days ago, the undergraduate research projects I have been a part of were featured on the Carleton website. You can check it out here:
http://cureusresearch.wordpress.com/2011/02/28/amisha-agarwal-biochemistry/.

Anyways, I really should get back to the books. I hope my fourth year at Carleton is just as amazing as this past year!

Keep smiling,

Amisha

It’s February already? University life just goes by so fast. Everyone’s already swamped with midterms, yet it feels like second semester just started!

I am currently taking a geography class called ‘Health, Environment and Society’. At first I was a little intimidated to take a 3rd year geography class given the fact that I haven’t done geography since grade 10. However, it turns out this class is amazing! It’s so interesting. I’m learning about global health and inequalities that exist around the world and I just love it! If I didn’t step out of my bubble and try this course, I would have missed out. This is to say: try new things! Don’t be afraid!

On the topic of trying new things, I also went skiing for the first time in many years! The Science Student Success Centre (where I volunteer) organized a ski trip for science students. I took the opportunity to hit the slopes with a bunch of fellow science students. Not only did I survive, I had such a great time! I can’t wait for the next ski trip. I feel like a true ‘Canadian’ now!

A couple nights ago, the Science Student Success Centre also hosted an evening called ‘Med Night’. It was an evening where students got the opportunity to speak with health care professionals from a variety of medical fields. It was really nice to meet so many successful people and hear how they got to where they are. Additionally this week, the SSSC is hosting a Science Networking Forum. It is another great opportunity for science students to come out and meet individuals who are working in science-related fields.

I should probably mention that I found a thesis supervisor! I am going to be doing my 4th year honours thesis in the Department of Neuroscience at Carleton. I’m looking forward to it!

Well, that was a little update on my life. Reading Week is in less than 2 weeks! Yay!

Keep smiling!

Amisha

Most of us Carleton students are deep into our exams, which for me, means no sleep and thus, being sick. I always get sick during exam time, always. Nonetheless, I love this time of the year – so many holiday parties and tasty baked goods!

Just a couple of days ago, I had the wonderful opportunity of attending the Carleton University Donor Reception, where I had the chance to meet with Carleton University deans, professors, students and alumni. Being a chancellor’s scholarship recipient, this was my chance to thank the donors. It was a wonderful evening and I was so grateful to be a part of it!

I also helped out at the CU Holiday Skate held this past Saturday. The CU Holiday Skate is an annual event put on by the university where students, staff, faculty and alumni (and their families) are invited to skate at the Carleton Ice House. It’s a great event that costs nothing to attend, except a non-perishable food item. Everyone also gets a Beavertail and hot chocolate… how could you said no to that?!

Anyways, I should get back to studying. I just have to get through a couple more exams and then I am off for a vacation with my Dad’s family down South. I am definitely looking forward to some warm weather!

Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

Amisha