For Emily Morris, Health Science 2021 Graduate, Vanier was a place to discover herself

For many students, the most important part of Cegep is the program they choose and the career it leads to. For 2021 Vanier Health Science graduate Emily Morris, Cegep not only allowed her to clarify what career interested her, but also gave her time to learn more about herself, test herself as a writer and win the 2021 Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship.

From Springboard to Science

Emily, who graduated from Lauren Hill Academy, started out in the Springboard Program to obtain the math and science prerequisites she needed to enter Health Science.

"Originally I wanted to become a doctor. I did well in science in high school but Cegep science was a shock. It's really difficult and complex. It made me question what I really wanted."

Discovering what she wants to do with her life

Luckily, Emily found a part-time clerical job as a hospital unit coordinator in the emergency ward and that helped clarify her thoughts. "We oversee everything, and keep the systems and files up to date for each patient. Working 16 hours a week in the ER allowed me to see the actual work that doctors and nurses do, and I realized I was more suited to Nursing."

Vanier was the perfect place for Emily to learn more about herself and prepare for university studies. "Vanier offers such a quiet atmosphere. The library is fantastic and a wonderful space to study, but there are also quiet corners all over the campus to sit and read and study. Even the hallways are quiet most of the time."

Blossoming as a writer

Vanier also allowed Emily to blossom as a writer. Encouraged by her English teacher, Emily submitted a portfolio and won first prize in the 2020-2021 Meg Sircom Memorial Scholarship for English and Creative Writing. The competition, which is open to all students no matter their program, was created by the Vanier English Department, to award an annual scholarship in honour of Meg Sircom, a Vanier English teacher and fiction writer who died in 2011. Ever since, the competition has been an inspiration for many Vanier students over the years.

"Having been given the opportunity to invest my time and energy into this competition was so rewarding, regardless of the fact that I won the scholarship (which I very much appreciate though!), because it gave me the chance to finally deep dive into myself, and document feelings I had been needing to let out. I've always found poetry such an incredible outlet to debrief your own emotions, and in that way, you not only create something, but in the process, you are given the chance to grow and develop your own psyche. In this way, you learn more about yourself, and you give yourself the chance to heal. The entire process was, put simply, cathartic."

Advice to new Cegep students

Cegep is a unique opportunity to figure yourself out. It's a chance to learn how to study and develop time management and study skills that you'll need later in university. It's important to concentrate at Cegep and be conscious of how you study. "

What comes next for Emily

For Emily, Cegep allowed her to make choices for her future, so although writing will always be a part of her, she has decided that nursing is what she wants to do. In fall 2021 she began her nursing degree at McGill University.