The Canadian Association for Neuroscience is happy to announce we have hired a student journalist for the Summer to write profiles about Canadian neuroscientists that have influenced and marked our field of research. Sarah will be attending the #CAN16 meeting in Toronto, so you may have a chance to meet her. Learn more about Sarah:
Diploma in Journalism: Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, 2017.
Bachelor of Arts in History, minor in Psychology: Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 2015.
I am currently halfway through the journalism program at Algonquin College in Ottawa and will graduate in 2017. During my first year as a journalism student, I have written and done photography for the student run newspaper, the Algonquin Times. Since January, I have been the editor of the paper, where I am responsible for assigning stories and copy-editing the work of others while also working on my own content. I’ve covered topics that vary from mental health awareness to an edible architecture competition, and I’m always looking for new and interesting angles to approach stories.
Previously, I attended Queen’s University in Kingston, my hometown. I earned my BAH in history with a minor in psychology in 2015. My interest in history developed when I was in elementary school, and my desire for knowledge was a driving force in my success in university. Studying history solidified my appreciation of thorough, sound research and that’s something that I have been able to bring with me to journalism.
It was in Psych 100 that my fascination with psychology and human behaviour was sparked, and I took so many psychology classes in my second year that it made sense to minor in it. Stumbling onto psychology, something that I had initially chosen last minute as my final elective, helped shape my approach to the papers I would write in my history classes. I tended to focus on the behaviour of groups of people: what drove female terrorists in Russia or how the public influenced the development of the polio vaccine. My psychology classes have also provided me with a better understanding of how different parts of the human brain work, and this knowledge is something I look forward to building on.
When I’m not reading and writing, I like to spend my time outdoors as much as possible. I enjoy playing soccer and hiking in the woods. I love to travel, and one of my goals is to visit all parts of the globe to learn as much as I can about the lives of people from all walks of life.
Go to the Neuroscientist profiles section to view Sarah Ferguson’s contributions
