We asked new grads to tell us about their post-graduation plans. Meet seven new alumni who will be carving out their place in the world of work.
Hospital-ready
“I’ll be starting my first job as registered nurse at The Ottawa Hospital after graduating with my BScN. Hopefully some travelling soon too!”
- Rosalyn Glass - Bachelors of Science in Nursing @rosalynglass
A greenhouse for food security
“I will be volunteering with the Anicinape community of Kitcisakik to help them revitalize their food system by growing food and traditional medicinal plants in a greenhouse. I met members of this community through a community service learning activity, which motivated me to write a thesis on using greenhouses in Indigenous communities to learn more about aboriginal practices and food security so that I could evaluate their project. For me, collaboration is key to bringing about positive changes in these communities. I provide resources and knowledge and in return, I gain knowledge of a subject area that is essential to the pursuit of my goals in the field of collaborative projects and the environment.”
- Stacey Olynick, BA Environmental Studies and Geography, Alex Trebek Innovation and Challenge Fund bursary recipient
Democracy in the MENA
“I’ll be working for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs in the Middle East and North Africa region, hopefully doing lots of research and continuing to learn about international affairs.”
- Hiba Jamai, Honours BSocSc in Political Science @hibsjamai
A French teacher from China? Yes, it’s possible
“I decided to learn French six years ago because everyone was studying English and I wanted to stand out. I studied French for two years in China, then one year in France, and then three years here, but I really gained fluency at the University of Ottawa. At first, it was hard: I didn’t know anyone and winter was horrible. But thanks to support from my professors and the writing techniques I learned here, I really made significant progress. I didn’t think I’d be admitted into the master’s program but the professors who saw my work encouraged me. This gave me self-confidence and now, I give French courses to public servants and children, even though French is not my mother tongue!”
- Ran Zhao, MA Lettres françaises
Passion for work and fitness
“I’ll be working as a consultant at KPMG in downtown Toronto and keeping up with my passion for lifting weights (which I discovered here at uOttawa). I’ll definitely miss uOttawa!”
- Germanjit Randhawa, MEng in Electrical and Computer Engineering @lifter.randhawa
Growing a business
“During my time here I started The Growcer, a business that basically took over my life. Growcer uses hydroponic systems to grow food in any climate all year long. Being a business owner while studying was a real challenge. We’ve been a CO-OP employer for over a year and we just signed a contract with the Government of Canada. So graduating means I’ll now have more time to dedicate to this expanding business. uOttawa, through Enactus, was pivotal in transforming this idea into a reality and I’m really grateful and pleased with how it turned out.”
- Corey Ellis, Honours Bachelor of Commerce
Learning with leaders
“I studied political science and participated in a program which places us with two different MPs over the course of the year. We also travel to Washington, London, Brussels, and to other provincial legislatures. I'll be continuing in a political science internship on Parliament Hill with the Canadian Political Science Association.”
- Sarah Crosby, Honours BSocSc in Political Science @sarahnc_