Phoebe came to the University of Guelph knowing she wanted to get engaged with the campus community early on. She started off with enrolling in a first year seminar, which brought elements of experiential learning (EL) to the classroom. From there, Phoebe went on to engage in many more curricular and co-curricular EL opportunities that were available to her. 

"I have gained many transferable skills from participating in experiential learning. They are public speaking, teamwork, communication, and knowing that I able to work in any work environment."

As a peer helper at the Wellness Education Centre, Phoebe learnt how to plan ahead and manage her time better. She also learnt how to be a leader in her work surrounding public health and health education, which led her to consider a career as a health educator. "I have gained many transferable skills from participating in experiential learning. They are public speaking, teamwork, communication, and knowing that I able to work in any work environment," she shares. Her involvement in Project Serve Reading Week programs on sexual health education further gave her opportunities to explore her role as an educator. Through these experiences, Phoebe says, "I have learned how to listen to people, how to work with them and how to be a more empathetic person."

Phoebe has also completed a research project as an Undergraduate Research Assistant. She developed research and presentation skills from the experience, and discovered that although she enjoyed conducting research, it was not in the field of work she engaged with during her project. Engaging in hands-on work is a great way of discovering whether you truly like a field of study that you may be considering for employment or future education. 

"Gaining the experience, and seeing it happen and then being able to say, 'I did that' and making a measurable difference made it worth if for me!"

All of Phoebe's experiences helped her grow personally and professionally. She says, "Gaining the experience, and seeing it happen and then being able to say, 'I did that' and making a measurable difference made it worth it for me!". Her experiences inside and outside the classroom exposed her to different career paths she could pursue and gave her the skills needed to succeed in any workplace.