Student Stories
At UNB, our goal is to ensure qualified students, regardless of their means or backgrounds, have the opportunity to pursue an education. For many, going to university is a life-changing experience that gives them the confidence and knowledge to follow thier dreams. Here are just a few stories of students who are following their dreams, thanks to the generosity of our donors.
Mercedes Peters
Taaryn Miller
Taaryn Miller might be the only person who would describe her involvement with the Fredericton Therapeutic Riding Association as “selfish.” As a
volunteer with the association, Taaryn helps people with disabilities ride horses as a form of therapy. Originally from Castlegar, BC, Taaryn grew up a competitive horseback rider. Moving across the country to study nursing at UNB meant her passion would have to take a backseat to her studies. “On a selfish note, I missed spending time with horses while working on my degree,” she said. “I didn’t have enough time to commit to riding myself, so this seemed like a happy medium because I could fulfill my desire to spend time with horses and volunteer my time.” Seeing people with disabilities riding horses and benefiting from the experience is what makes the volunteer work worthwhile for Taaryn. “An example is a rider who is bound to a wheelchair and requires someone to push her. However, when she’s on the horse she can compete in games, build strength and form a bond with an animal,” Taaryn said. “When she’s riding, she controls where she goes, so it allows a great sense of freedom and you can see it written all over her face.”
Dion Campbell
Twenty hours of volunteer work was all the course required. However, once Dion Campbell got involved as volunteer coach with the Special Olympics floor hockey team, what was required didn’t matter. “The players are such an amazing group of people to work with. It really was an eye-opening
experience, so once I got to know them there was no way I wasn’t going to stay and be part of this great group of people,” said the recreation and sports studies student and forward with the Varsity Red men’s hockey team. Every Monday night for two hours, Dion, along with other coaches and volunteers, worked with the group, teaching them the game and having fun. Dion said he spent more than 60 hours coaching the team. What he didn’t expect was to learn so much from them, including a new appreciation for the sport he loves. “They taught me patience and how to enjoy the little things the game of hockey has to offer. Their passion and love for the game is contagious,” the Melville, Saskatchewan native said. While the benefits of taking part were numerous for Dion, Kim Williams, a parent of a Special Olympian and a volunteer, said Dion’s contributions were tremendous. “You have no idea how wonderful it was to have him there,” Kim said. “I think it was an honor for the athletes to have a guy they consider a celebrity, with such talent coaching them.
Andrew Martel
Jackson Wo
“If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music, I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music…I get most joy in life out of music.” – Albert Einstein. It’s a quote with which UNB chemical engineering student Jackson Wo can identify.“If I were not in
chemical engineering, I would probably be in music. I feel that what makes the intense workload bearable is the idea of playing music periodically,” Jackson said.“Often, I end up doing thermodynamics by day and then performing Rossini’s William Tell Overture by night.” A violinist with the world renowned New Brunswick Youth Orchestra (NBYO), when Jackson arrived at UNB, he noticed the lack of a classical orchestra. He decided to change this. What he started was the UNB String Orchestra of which Jackson is the musical director and principal conductor. So far, he said the performances of the String Orchestra – which made its debut in 2010 – have been well received and he’s working on getting more publicity for the group. Jackson’s love of music has not only led to the UNB String Orchestra, but has taken him around the globe as a member of the NBYO. While world travel and recognition are great, Jackson said it’s the feeling he gets from playing that keeps him coming back. “Personally I believe that music can instill and train many admirable qualities in a person. It’s a language that transcends all linguistic barriers and reaches deep into the soul,” he said.
Megan and Colin Ougler
Because Megan and Colin Ougler are twins, people immediately begin to look for similarities. And they can be found -- both received scholarships to 
attend UNB and both are enrolled in the Faculty of Arts, but that’s where the comparisons end. The twins are interested in different subjects and only have one class together. “We hardly ever cross paths,” Megan said. “She goes where she needs to go and I go where I need to go,” Colin said. The pair also differed when it came to adjusting to university life. Colin described it as a huge reality check and realized he’d have to work much harder than he did in high school. Megan said the transition was “pretty good and I really settled into a groove after a month.”Even their reaction to receiving scholarships differed greatly. Megan tells the story of jumping up and down and screaming overjoyed in a school parking lot after her mother delivered the letter containing the good news. As for Colin, he was a bit more subdued. “I think I was in my kitchen when I found out, but I don’t really remember how it happened. I must have been excited.” While their time at UNB Saint John has been different, both agree the scholarships have made a big difference. “I didn’t want to have to work while going to school. With the scholarships I can just focus on my studies,” Colin said. “I can focus on my academics and getting to where I want to be,” Megan said.
Monica Graves
Amy Shannon
Amy Shannon likes to push herself. It’s one of the reasons she’s been successful in her academic career, but testing her limits goes beyond the classroom. While working as a counsellor at a youth camp, Amy decided to push herself to an extreme by jumping out of a plane strapped to another human being. “I
think skydiving is something everybody should try at least once,” she said. “Skydiving takes you out of your comfort zone and I think when you are forced out of your comfort zone, you grow as a person and learn things about yourself.” Her time working at the camp also produced same great moments for Amy. As a general counsellor and softball instructor, she spent a lot of time trying to increase each child’s sense of self-efficacy. “If you teach a child one skill, even if it’s something as simple as throwing a ball, you’d be surprised how the confidence gained from learning that skill carries over into other aspects of that child’s life,” the Arts student at UNB Saint John said. She also learned, despite different backgrounds, the children were essentially dealing with the same issues. “I think sometimes people are too quick to judge others based on their socioeconomic status. When it comes to things in life that really matter such as friends and family, we’re all the same.”
Chris Watson
Chris Watson has shunned New Brunswick summers in favour of an arctic climate. He’s done this because of a compulsion, an addiction of sorts, which began during his undergraduate years. While earning his Bachelor of Science (Physics) degree, Prof. P. T. Jayachandran asked Chris if he was interested in
working on research projects. “I did it for a couple of summers and really enjoyed it; I even got to publish a paper during my undergrad.” Watson said. “It was a big thrill for me to discover something no one had before. From then on I was hooked on the research and I’ve been doing it ever since.” The research bug has carried him into his PhD where he’s part of the Canadian High Arctic Ionospheric Network (CHAIN). The group was created in response to the need for greater understanding of planetary environments affected by short and long-term solar output variability. As part of CHAIN, Chris has contributed to three research papers in the past two years.Chris has spent the past few summers in the arctic installing GPS receivers and antennas, as well as doing annual equipment maintenance as part of CHAIN. He’s also enjoyed seeing a remote part of the world. “The further North you go, the more isolated it gets. Not much to do there but go for a run across the tundra,” Chris said. “Overall, it’s been a great experience and I’ve got to see an area and a way of life I had never been exposed to before.”
Victoria Clowater
Most people will never know what it’s like to fill in for one of the world’s biggest movie stars, but Victoria Clowater has an idea. During the 2011 Toronto
International Film Festival, Victoria was working as an intern for Fox Searchlight and had a ticket to the premiere of The Descendants starring George Clooney. Getting a break from her internship duties, Victoria attended the premiere and saw an open seat at the front of the theatre. “George Clooney was walking on the stage and I wanted a closer look,” Victoria said. “I snuck up and asked the person sitting beside it if I could sit there.” The woman said Victoria could fill it while Clooney was on stage because it was the movie star’s seat. “Then I looked down and found a toonie on the ground, so it was a pretty good moment.” Her interest in film was sparked by the courses she’s taken at UNB and the people she’s met while attending university.“I’ve studied anthropology and I really enjoy seeing how people’s world views evolve through different experiences and cultures,” she said. “In film, people are always changing and coming to different viewpoints. The audience goes on that transcendent experience with the character which is what draws me to film and makes me want to be part of it.”
Ryan Brideau
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