Drawn to the University of Lethbridge by its small class sizes and the natural beauty of the city, Jamie Lewis found a community and her place in the world.
“Attending uLethbridge has enabled me to become involved in my education in a way which I don’t see my friends at the bigger universities being able to do,” she explains. “I have excellent access to my professors which has allowed me to find academic success. I also have had the opportunity to work in research since the beginning of my second year, which is uncommon.”
Jamie’s research experience includes helping to make traditional knowledge available to Blackfoot youth and families through the Raising Spirit Digital Library Project (a collaborative project between the university’s Institute for Child and Youth Studies and Opokaa’sin Early Intervention Society), and working on the Retention Squared Project, which investigates how team-based learning environments can help university students retain more information and build social connections.
Jamie, who is in a declared major in anthropology with an undeclared major in religious studies, has also found ways to make an impact outside the classroom. In her first year, was a member of the inaugural Water and Sustainability Global Citizenship Cohort which brought like-minded first-year students together to participate in courses connected by a common theme. Through her cohort, and with the support of faculty, helped found the World University Service of Canada (WUSC) Local Committee that helped raise $26,000 to sponsor one refugee to move to Lethbridge to become permanent resident and student at the university. The WUSC later spearheaded a successful referendum to fund one refugee student every year through the Student Refugee Program.
“It really does feel like my dreams of becoming an active, truly helpful global citizen are actually coming true,” says Jamie. “It’s so rewarding to find what you love, to pursue that, and be able to see it positively affecting other people’s lives.”
Jamie says the liberal education she has received at uLethbridge gives her a solid foundation for her future, whether that includes going on to do a master’s degree or a fulfilling career in academia, government or the not-for-profit sector.
“I am allowing my goals to be fairly flexible and broad for now, but feel confident that the critical thinking and team-based learning skills which I’ve developed so far as a uLethbridge student, along with my work experience within my fields, will make me a sought after and useful employee wherever I go.”
Learn more about Jaime's uLethbridge experience