Why did you choose Waterloo?
I grew up Nova Scotia and did my BSc in Math at St Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. I’ve always loved math and had a knack for it, but didn’t really know what a career in math would look like. I decided to do a general math degree to try out various aspects of math, and fell in love with biostatistics and epidemiology. After doing a few terms of summer research, I decided to do a master’s in biostatistics. I chose Waterloo specifically for its Biostatistics program. I wanted to learn from active research professors who are passionate about what they do.
What does a typical day look like for you?
On a typical day I wake up, eat a bagel, and then get ready for the day. Most days I work from home, so I get comfy at my desk and work for a few hours on my research; working on papers, running simulations, and having meetings with my supervisors. I try to always take a dedicated lunch break, and I’m careful about separating my working day from the rest of my day so that I don’t get tired of working from home.
I love to cook, so after I’m done work for the day I try to cook a nice meal and get away from my computer. In the evenings, I craft!
What do you do for fun?
Crafting is my number one hobby. I absolutely love being able to make something by hand. I also love the designing aspect – there’s a lot of math involved. I tend to spend my evenings working on my knit or crochet projects, writing patterns or ideas of things I want to make, and running a social media page dedicated to my crochet and knit projects.
Outside of crafting, I love to travel and visit new places. After graduation, I plan to spend a month exploring Japan, which has been on my bucket list for a long time.
Do you have any advice for incoming graduate students?
Find a balance. You will burn out if you’re constantly working. Try a hobby that is completely unrelated to your schooling! Go for lots of walks! Most importantly, connect with your classmates. It’s so important to have an internal support system when you’re navigating graduate studies.