Nicole Aubin

 

Name: Nicole Aubin

Specialty/Program:

Bachelor of Arts Honors in Comparative Literature

If you were a superhero, who would it be? If you had a super power, what would it be?

I would want to be able to manipulate time, so that I would never run out of time to do anything ever again!

What inspired you to become an Honors student in MLCS? 

I wanted to challenge myself academically and leverage my BA degree for better chances of getting into grad school and finding employment.

What is the best thing about being an Honors student in MLCS?

Being in Honors in MLCS allows you to really make the most out of your degree. I feel like I developed so much more professionally and personally than I would have without taking Honors. I learned how to turn my passions and interests into tangible work, I gained important experience in self-discipline, time management, and critical thinking. Also, the kind and encouraging community of professors and fellow students who take you and your research seriously is really welcoming and makes you feel like you can achieve anything.

Cause(s) you care about.

I care about highlighting the perspectives, cultures, and histories of marginalized communities. From political visibility to representation in media and entertainment, I think it is important to advocate for and make more space for communities who could never fully voice themselves in the past because of discrimination and prejudice.

Tell us about a topic you are excited to do research about (e.g., your current Honors thesis).

I did my thesis on Asian food culture as it is related to Asian panethnic identities in North America. I researched how physical and digital food spaces like Asian grocery stores and Asian social media food blogs reflect and bring together many different Asian ethnic groups in culture and identity. Being half Thai, this topic is close to home for me and I drew on a lot of my personal experiences when developing my thesis.

Any (survival) tip(s) you would like to share with new or prospective MLCS Honors students?

Start thinking of the primary sources you want to analyze before you start your thesis semester. Read all the books, watch all the films, consume all the media you know you want to cover in your thesis at least once before you start your semester so that you have more time to focus on planning and writing your thesis during the semester.

The first thing you plan do after graduating or, if you have already graduated, tell us what you are doing now.

After finishing my course requirements in Fall 2022, my part-time job unexpectedly ended and I decided to give myself a couple of months off before starting to apply to full-time jobs. I'm really grateful I was able to rest and recuperate after 4.5 long years of an intense work-school-life schedule. Eventually I want to go to grad school, but first I want to take a break from school and gain more professional experience. I ended up getting a job here at UofA, as a communications and technical writer for a research centre in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department. I enjoy still working in an academic setting yet gaining different skills and experiences in the switch from arts to science.