I am beyond excited for and very envious of my friend Amy Flockhart. Amy hails from Ladner, BC and is in her fifth year as an English major. Last summer, Amy participated in the France English field school, a two-month program in Tours and Paris that focused on American expatriate literature. This fall, she was selected to represent SFU’s Study Abroad programs as a Study Abroad Ambassador, which gives her the opportunity to share the benefits of studying abroad with other SFU students.
From my own experience, I can tell you that Amy is a rare human being because she is genuinely kind, compassionate, and sensitive (almost to a fault!). She has the biggest and brightest smile that lights up a room and hides any of her distress. Amy is one of the few lucky and deserving individuals graduating from SFU after this semester. She is a beacon of hope, a symbol of the light at the end of the tunnel, and I think that, at this point in the semester, we just need to hear that it CAN be done!
Describe yourself in 3 words.
Passionate, stubborn, and bubbly.
Favourite movie, song, singer, band, author, and book?
Movie: Lord of the Rings; Song: Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain”; Singer: Bruno Mars; Band: The Script; Author: Oscar Wilde; Book: Lord of the Rings.
How and why did you choose your major?
If you told me in Grade 12 that I would be an English major in university, I would’ve laughed. Honestly, I wasn’t very good at it as a teenager. When I took a year off after high school, I developed this passion out of nowhere for writing fiction, but I knew that technically I wasn’t a great writer. So I just started taking English classes at a college and found a new perspective for it. Ever since, I fell in love with reading and writing.
The best course and worst course you’ve taken at SFU?
The worst course was Philosophy XX1—Critical Thinking. This was the first course I took to fulfill the Q requirement, and it was terrible. The prof was indifferent during his lectures, my TA seemed like he much preferred to be somewhere else, and I basically was on my own to teach myself. To sum it all up, I’ve never been so happy to get a C- in a course!
The best course was English 347—American Lit Before 1900 with Professor Mike Everton. This course was a turning point in my writing and my self-confidence. I absolutely love American literature and Professor Everton is so devoted and passionate in his teaching. He pushes you to be the best writer that you can be and makes you feel that your voice matters.
Anything you want to go back and change?
Since I’m kind of a shy person, I wish that I would have spoken up more in class and voiced my opinions—not so much in my last semesters, but when I first started post-secondary. Other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing because I couldn’t be happier with the way I’ve finished my degree.
Keys to survival? Any advice for those of us you are leaving behind?
Uh, don’t procrastinate with final papers (if you’re like me, you know this will never happen, even if you try). Honestly, just enjoy the whole university experience. It’s so easy to become wrapped up and stressed over your GPA and what you’re going to do with your degree, but these years go by fast—make them count. Get to know people in your classes (they may turn out to be your best friends), go to your profs for help if you need it and talk to them (they know a lot), and volunteer with your school somehow (it looks good on a resumé and you get to meet great people).
What is the first thing you are going to do when you walk out of your last exam EVER?
Get roaring drunk. Unfortunately not, since I will be working the next day, but I think I will be literally skipping out of the exam and maybe treat myself to a mocha.
What does feminism and female empowerment mean to you?
As a young woman raised by a single mother, I am so passionate about female empowerment. Sometimes when you don’t have someone around to help you or do things for you, only then do you realize how strong you are and how much you can achieve. Both my mother and I have definitely learned this over the years. I think it’s so important for girls and women to realize how much potential they have and that having a boyfriend or husband doesn’t make you complete. Obviously, being in a relationship can be wonderful, but I think sometimes people are in them for the wrong reasons. For me, going to school and traveling has been so important to me to discover who I am and what I really want for myself in my life.
Words to live by?
“All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you.” —J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings.