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Abigail Herrington: Letter to a Future STUdent

A woman wearing a black blazer and white shirt stands with her arms crossed in front of the entrance to an office building

DEAR FUTURE STUDENT,

I was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, and attended STU immediately out of high school. I was drawn to the Arts program, the beautiful campus, and the small class sizes and wanted the opportunity to live on my own for the first time without being too far from home. It turned out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. 

 

CAREER TRACK

I graduated from STU in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts with an Honours in History and an Honours in Philosophy, and I have to say that any course with Dr. Karen Robert (History) or Dr. Scott Stapleford (Philosophy) is an absolute must. After STU, I moved to Toronto to study law at the University of Toronto. I graduated from law school in 2019 and became licensed as a lawyer in 2020, and then moved back to my hometown mid-pandemic to practice law at Lawson Creamer in Saint John, NB. I currently practice in civil and commercial litigation and get to appear in court on a regular basis. 

 

ACADEMICS & CLASSES

Students often ask me what they should major in. When I was at STU, I didn’t know what I would do after I graduated, so I didn’t pick courses based on what I thought would help me in law school. I always tell people that I took a variety of courses in my first year and then decided to major in the courses I found to be the most challenging. I figured I had the most to learn in those courses, that they would push me the furthest, and I enjoyed the challenge. As it turns out, if I were to redo my undergrad knowing I was planning to go to law school, I wouldn’t change a thing. Law school is all about identifying patterns and being able to reason from first principles. From my history major, I gained a lot of experience looking for and identifying patterns which really helped me in law school. From my philosophy major, including my honours thesis, I felt comfortable working through complex arguments, challenging the assumptions at the foundation of an argument, and then being able to articulate my point of view on challenging topics.

 

A PLACE TO GROW

STU is the perfect place to grow into yourself. The community is welcoming and supportive, the academic programs are rigorous, and the professors are laser-focused on the quality of their teaching. I always felt my ability to learn and grow was a priority at STU. In a world that is becoming increasingly polarized with people unable to sort out fact from fiction, the critical thinking skills you will develop at STU are certain to be some of your best assets anywhere you go.  

 

My advice to anyone starting at STU, particularly out of high school like I did, is that you are just beginning to get to know yourself. Whoever you thought you were in high school doesn’t have to matter. You are stepping into a whole new world of opportunity. Approach it fearlessly and with an open mind. You will be surprised who you can become.

 

 

Sincerely,

Abigail Herrington