Humans of Goodes - Finding Yourself Through the Ups and Downs
Biography
Laura is a commerce student at the Smith School of Business. As she enters her second year, she plays an active part on Queen’s Women In Leadership (QWIL) as a Research Coordinator. She is also an External Student Relations Officer at the Smith Commerce Society. Laura cares deeply about achieving equity in all spaces, particularly in the workplace and academia. She loves music, poetry and literature, and the outdoors. Laura is always happy to make new friends, so please don’t hesitate to say hi in Goodes or online!
What was an obstacle you faced at Smith or in general, and how have you grown from it?
“I had to deal with a lot of failure in my first year within many facets of my life. For instance, I was unsuccessful in my first-year representative applications, and I also did poorly on one of my finals even though I had worked really hard to understand the material. To add on to that, when I entered Smith, I was confident that writing was my strong suit - but one of my professors disagreed. As a result, I didn't do nearly as well as I’d hoped to do on my first essay.
Regardless of all that though, I think the largest obstacle I faced was psychological. I have a lot of friends in Commerce whom I love very much; however, when I saw them succeeding where I was failing, it really made me question my value in this program, which I don’t think is a unique experience - I think “imposter syndrome” is a common phenomenon felt by a lot of people at Smith. After an insightful conversation with one of my closest friends, I learned to shift my mindset. I learned to not place my perception of my own value on conventional success - like achieving a 4.3 GPA, getting a first-year internship, having all of these titles, etc. I had to redefine what success meant to me.”
What does perseverance mean to you? What role has it played in your life so far?
“To me, perseverance is all about seeking fulfillment outside of university and work. And that’s not to say that school and work are not important to me - I love school and the positions I hold. But there are things that I'm still learning how to do. I know I'm not going to be perfect in everything. However you define your success, it is never going to be linear.
In the early summer, I was really stressed about my job and summer courses. So, during the summer, when I was home and the sun was setting, I remember taking a blanket and going out on my front lawn where I just listened to the birds. And in that moment, I thought, no matter what happens, if I happen to fail every course, if I lose my job - I could still enjoy the beauty of the world. The birds will still sing, my friends will still love me, and I can still drink my coffee with maple syrup in the morning. As silly as that might seem, it’s the truth - there will always be something for you, so I feel that helps a ton to take the weight off the taxing things in life.
I believe that two truths can contradict each other and still co-exist: you can go through adversity and there will still be good for you in the world.”
Reflecting on your first-year and where you are now, how do you balance school work, your personal life, your professional life, and your social life?
“In my first-year, I prioritized my social life for sure, even though I was devastated that it was online. However, I feel so lucky that I had another year to spend with my loved ones back home in Nova Scotia. My closest friend went through unfathomable adversity this fall - and I will forever be grateful that I was able to be with her when times were rough. I also made some new friends in my hometown that I know I'll have for life. A lot of the balancing act was multitasking - I spent a good 85% of my time doing schoolwork and preparing for interviews. I remember practicing with my significant other: brainstorming what I wanted to say and how to best answer questions. It was amazing practice but still fun! Making school and my professional life into a social activity is how I've kept my life balanced and enjoyable in the past year.
More practically speaking, Outlook Calendar is amazing for me - I schedule time for everything and I even send out cal-invites when I want to go for a drive with one of my friends. So schedule everything, and you’ll have more time to do whatever you want.”
What’s something you’re passionate about that not many would know?
“I love the water and the ocean! I’m not sure if this is super interesting, but to me, it’s one of the biggest parts of who I am. I come from the east coast, from Nova Scotia, so there’s nothing I love more than being outdoors, camping, and swimming. So much so that I actually got a tattoo a few weeks ago of a seashell with a pearl in it, and it means nothing except for the fact that I simply love the ocean! I also collect seashells, so I literally brought all of them to Kingston from Nova Scotia. I remember where the seashells all come from too - some of them are from the coasts of Nova Scotia, while others are from my trips to Italy and Greece. I think my passion for the ocean and collecting seashells are what makes me, in a lot of ways, me.”