Name: Allie Pasquale
Program and Year: Commerce with specialization in International Management, 4th Year
Hometown: Plymouth, MA, USA
Position: Lifestyle Writer
Her Campus uOttawa: Why did you choose uOttawa?
Allie Pasquale: I have Canadian citizenship, so I chose uOttawa because it was way cheaper than any of the US schools I had applied to. I also really liked that I could start right in on business classes and that uOttawa had COOP, something I was really looking for in my university experience.
HCuO: How do you like your program? Has it met your expectations?
AP: I really like my program. I liked learning all the basics of business before moving into my more specialized courses because it allowed me to make friends in other specializations and understand a lot of the basic principles. I loved especially that for my specialization, we were required to do an exchange. It was one of my favorite semesters! It has definitely met my expectations – I feel that I have learned a lot and will be prepared for my first full-time job.
HCuO: How do you like your position on the HCuO Team?
AP: I love my position! Writing in Lifestyle is great because you can write about pretty much anything – so I just get to write about whatever pops into my head. Being a writer is awesome too because between COOP & exchange, I’ve been out of Ottawa a lot and I can still be part of HCuO by writing my articles!
HCuO: What is your favourite article that you’ve written so far?
AP: I have a few, but my favourite would have to be my article about solo travel from last year. I really enjoyed solo traveling because it helped me get to know myself a little better and feel more independent. I encourage everyone to give it a try & see what you might find out!
HCuO: What are three things that you cannot live without?
AP: Hmmm…this is a hard one! I would have to say first my phone, because it is how I talk to my family and friends, listen to music, watch Netflix, the works. Second would have to be my agenda – even though my phone has a calendar, I like the process of planning out my week and color coding what needs to be done (I’m a nerd like that). Last, I would have to say my favorite sweatshirt. It’s from one of my favorite brands from home, Vineyard Vines, and is still really soft. It feels like I’m being hugged, which is great when I get homesick.
HCuO: How do you keep yourself motivated? How do you manage your time?
AP: I stay motivated by finding things to look forward to, especially in the gross winter. Sometimes it can be going to visit my grandmother in Montreal or going home for reading week, sometimes it can be an event like a concert or a night out! I’m a super planner, so I try to outline what I need to do in my agenda and balance that with any other activities I might want to do (the gym, hanging out with friends, visiting family).
HCuO: What is on your bucket list for the summer?
AP: I’m hoping to visit Ireland at the very beginning of summer with a friend from home. I also want to climb Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire with my mom (something we’ve been saying we would do for years) and will be going to 2 U2 concerts in Boston! U2 is my favorite band and I missed their tour last year because I had summer classes, so I am really excited!
HCuO: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
AP: In 10 years, I’m hope to be working for a nonprofit organization, maybe in fundraising and development. I also hope to have visited at least half of the countries in Europe (so far I am at 11). I also want to be living near Boston with hopefully either a family or significant other. I will also have at least one dog, because dogs are amazing!
HCuO: You recently did an internship abroad. Do you have any advice for people embarking on a similar adventure? What was your favourite part and what lessons did you learn?
AP: I would say definitely start by making good connections and using connections your family might have. My last internship was the result of a connection I made during a previous internship with friends of my mom’s. Those connections will be so useful for finding more internships and as references for jobs later on, especially if you want to work abroad after graduation. I recently interned for a political campaign doing fundraising. My favorite part of the internship was getting to work with a smaller group of people – I felt that my work was really valued and like I wasn’t just an intern, but part of the team. One lesson that I did learn was always be willing to ask for more work or contribute your ideas. Your coworkers and supervisor will definitely appreciate it!
Sources: Pictures were provided by Allie Pasquale.