Candice Huculiak
Fine Arts Graduating Medal | Augustana Fine Arts Award (Keyboard) | Sangkor | Manskor Accompaniest | Camrose Animal Shelter Volunteer | Theme Community House Pioneer
Who was your favourite mentor or professor at Augustana?
It seems impossible for me to only talk about one professor when every single professor I've had during my time at Augustana has made some sort of positive impact on my education. The three professors that stand out the most to me are Dr. Ardelle Ries, Dr. Roger Admiral and Dr. Inna Luzanac. They continue to act as incredible mentors in my educational journey as well as in my personal life. I cannot put into words how much I look up to them as role models and how they have influenced my musical growth. The way that they can see strengths in me that I would not have seen in myself and direct my learning in a way enables me to be more successful than I would be on my own is astounding and part of what makes them valuable educators at Augustana and in the community.
What was your favourite class at Augustana?
My favourite class would probably have to be either Chamber Music or Music Modernism and Postmodernism. I really enjoyed Chamber Music because I had the chance to practice and perform two-piano duets with a good friend and successful peer. I enjoy performing in duos and small ensembles so much more than any kind of solo performance. I have been playing piano duets and trios ever since I started playing piano. There's something about connecting with others on a level where even our movement and breath are aligned and together experiencing the music in the same moment. Modernism was my other favourite class because we got to perform music by making weird noises with our mouths, ripping newspaper, shaking glitter and other non-traditional ways of producing musical sounds.
What's your best memory from Augustana?
My favourite memory at Augustana was my time living in Augustana's first-ever Living Learning Community House. In my second year, I got to live and create a Living Learning Community project with four of my good friends that I met in my first year. Our project was centered around wellness in it's six different aspects: physical, mental, emotional, environmental, spiritual and social. Together we explored and found ways to incorporate these types of wellness into our lives and wow did we ever create a stronger and safer support system between us than I ever could have imagined. And enjoying the performances by the Men Who Fell to Earth would be a close second.
If you could give a new student a piece of advice about studying at Augustana, what would it be?
Take every opportunity. At Augustana and even just in the greater Camrose area there are plenty of opportunities for students to become involved in the community and to build a network whether on or off campus. I look back on my time here and think of the few opportunities that I regrettably didn't take and wished I would've. I look back on those that I did take, though they may have been quite the leap for me, and I cherish those experiences. I believe that there is no new experience that is a waste of time. Try it out!
What's next for you?
As a recent grad I feel that there are so many options for what I could do next. I've been thinking for a while that I would love to continue my education in piano performance and move on to a master's degree. But what I love even more is to collaborate with other musicians and perform in ensembles so I hope to be able to fit that in somewhere. Until now I haven't made any firm plans on when and where I will be continuing my education. I will be staying in Camrose for another year to continue teaching at the Augustana Music Conservatory, build my teaching experience and music studio and hopefully get more involved in the evergrowing music community here in Camrose.
Carson Hvenegaard
Science Graduating Medal | Research Assistant | Manskor | Augustana Choir | Community Band | Earthwise Club Executive
Who was your favourite mentor or professor at Augustana?
Glynnis Hood. I took a large variety of her classes and enjoyed every one! She always did her best to motivate and help us all, and also got me involved in extra events like her annual beaver survey!
What was your favourite class at Augustana?
AUBIO/ENV 334, the Miquelon Field course. It was really intense, but staying at the Miquelon Research Station, living and cooking with professors and friends, was lots of fun! We got to design our own research projects and see them through to completion, which helped build my confidence and was very satisfying.
What's your best memory from Augustana?
At the end of first year, a group of my friends and I were all in the same biology course. To study, we spent a whole day together in a dorm room reading, quizzing each other, eating pizza and trying to relieve stress by going out for walks in the valley. I think that was exactly what university was about.
If you could give a new student a piece of advice about studying at Augustana, what would it be?
Get involved in as much as you can. There are tons of clubs, sports to play and watch, talks every week and most professors need help with research. Your classes are only a part of what's going on.
What's next for you?
I am getting married this summer! In the Fall, I will begin my master's program at Trent University, doing a research project on environmental decision-making by municipal governments.
Photo courtesy of Jess Leigh.
Hannah Semenyna
Humanities Graduating Medal | Augustana Choir | Writing Centre Peer Tutor | Chapel Worship Leader
Who was your favourite mentor or professor at Augustana?
I met Marina Endicott when I did my Community Services Learning project in her first-year seminar classroom. I was struck by the gentle and honest way she dealt with students, as well as the humor in which she underwent the happenings of that class. Marina carried this posture of lightness into the poetry class I took from her, which could have been devastating-having one's poetry critiqued is like a strip-search of the soul-but was enormous fun. She inspired me to keep writing, which I do!
What was your favourite class at Augustana?
Roxanne Harde's United States Literature to 1865 was my favorite class. It took us through the events, metanarratives, and cultures that shaped America by relating literature to history. I have a new love for American literature because of that class.
What's your best memory from Augustana?
My best memories happened in the chapel. There is nothing like standing around the altar in the candlelight and partaking in the age-old tradition of communion or singing centuries-old music with the Augustana Choir under that vast ceiling. The chapel was a special place for me, a second home.
If you could give a new student a piece of advice about studying at Augustana, what would it be?
Augustana is a delightful place to learn. There are fantastic opportunities: you can visit your professors one-on-one, know the names of your classmates and smile at hundreds of familiar faces each day. Especially at a smaller institution, it is important to be humble and kind. Engage with ideas different than your own. Recognize the speakers of these ideas as human. Have a lively discussion. Most of all, do not disown people because of their political position. Politics is everything these days. In my opinion, everything is too much.
What's next for you?
I spent the last year doing two jobs: one, teaching English as an additional language, and two, tutoring college students with disabilities. I love both and am keen to continue! More recently I have dedicated time to writing and reading. My husband and I live in a little old farmhouse near Grande Prairie and I delight in gardening, cooking and (sometimes) discovering the surprises that come with living in an old farmhouse.
Sydney Thackeray
Augustana Graduating Medal | Social Sciences Graduating Medal | Research Assistant | Camrose Public Library/St. Mary's Hospital/Battle River Watershed Alliance/Camrose Pride Volunteer | SingAble
Who was your favourite mentor or professor at Augustana?
That is a difficult question, however, I believe the two professors/mentors who had the largest impact on my life and my development as a student and academic would be Dr. Rebecca Purc-Stephenson and Dr. Joe Wiebe. Over the course of my academic career, I took several classes with each professor and worked for them as a research assistant during the summer. I attribute a large portion of my academic success and who I am today to their mentorship and encouragement.
What was your favourite class at Augustana?
Another difficult question! I enjoyed the majority of my classes at Augustana and learned something new or exciting from each one. Nevertheless, the course that solidified my decision to pursue graduate studies was Counselling Psychology during my third year at Augustana. The course taught me the foundations of counselling psychology and renewed my passion for mental health.
What's your best memory from Augustana?
My favourite memories from Augustana were mostly during the summer months when I spent the majority of my time as a research assistant. I am extremely grateful for this experience because I was given the opportunity to build relationships with Augustana professors and further my skills and knowledge as a researcher. I also enjoyed working with my fellow RA's and spending the summer conducting literature reviews, collecting data or writing manuscripts and hanging out afterward to bike around Mirror Lake or go to Fox and Fable to have a few drinks and play board games. However, I also enjoyed the more mundane experiences I had at Augustana. I loved learning, late-night study sessions in the library and catching up with friends on the weekends.
If you could give a new student a piece of advice about studying at Augustana, what would it be?
Enjoy your time at Augustana and don't rush through your degree. Take time to have fun, meet new people, participate/volunteer on campus and work hard in your classes.
What's next for you?
I don't know…hopefully, graduate studies and a career as an academic. I'd love to teach aspiring students and contribute to the research field of counselling psychology. Who knows, maybe I'll find my way back to Augustana as a professor!
For more information on this year's Convocation celebrations, visit https://www.ualberta.ca/augustana/services/academic/convocation.
* An earlier version of this story noted Sydney Thackeray as the winner of the Governor General's Silver Medal Award instead of a nominee. We are deeply sorry for the error.