Samantha Squires: Letter to a Future STUdent

DEAR FUTURE STUDENT,

My name is Samantha Squires and I am a proud STU graduate, class of 2018! I am originally from Guelph, Ontario. At STU I studied Economics, earning an Honours with a minor in Math and Business. I went on to complete my Masters of Economic Policy at McMaster University in Hamilton and now work as a Senior Associate with PwC’s Economic & Policy Practice in Toronto. Though the Economics department at STU is small, being able to build close relationships with my professors was very beneficial to both my learning and my career.

TIGHT-KNIT COMMUNITY

During my four years at STU, I played on the women’s varsity hockey team. Being a part of the sports community may have meant I didn’t have time to join a lot of other clubs and societies, but STU is so tight-knit that the entire campus feels like one awesome club, where everyone you meet is involved in something different.

The community was one of the reasons I chose to attend STU. Coming from Ontario, I was hesitant to attend such a small school. When I decided I wanted to pursue hockey at the university level, I knew my social life and opportunities to make friends outside of sports would be limited. So, if I was going to make that sacrifice, I wanted to be at a university that valued me as an athlete and recognized the difficulty of balancing academics and out-of-class commitments.  

SUPPORTIVE PROFESSORS

This is why STU is such an amazing institution — professors and staff understand what you have going on outside of class, and see these experiences as valuable, not as things that keep you from class or coursework. I get  emotional when I think about the support I received from the STU community, which I know not a lot of students at larger universities can say.  It doesn’t hurt that STU is in such a great city — I still think of Fredericton as my home and dream about moving back one day.  

APART FROM THE CROWD

STU helped me get to where I am today because it set me apart. Because I am from Ontario and chose to return after university, when I was applying to both my master’s program and jobs, I was competing with students from well-known universities with 20,000-60,000 students. Among piles of applications and resumes, I was likely the only one from STU. Leaning into the differences of attending a small and unique liberal arts institution will help you and being a part of such an exclusive alumni association will make it easier to connect to other alumni in the future.   

TOMMIE PROUD

I know everyone says it, but your time at university goes by quickly and it is what you make it, so do as much as you can. University isn’t meant to be easy, but if you work hard to find balance  and ask for help when you need it, you will have a great experience. Build relationships with your professors, explore Fredericton, study on campus, and finally, be so proud to be a Tommie! 

Best of luck, 

Samantha Squires