Life Changing Moments Happen at CBU [3min Read]

Where do I begin? There are countless answers to the question, “Why did you pick Cape Breton University?”
Throughout high school, I was an involved student within and out of school. I enjoy being at home, and with a great circle of friends, and I knew I wasn’t ready to leave our beloved Island of Cape Breton. I don’t understand why anyone would want to go somewhere else for their education. The right choice for me was CBU!

Currently, I’m a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Communication. I originally started out in the Bachelor of Science program and had every intention of studying and having a career in psychology. I quickly discovered that it wasn’t for me and in the second semester of my first year, I determined that a Communications degree was.

A life-changing moment I had at Cape Breton University was when I met Dr. Judy Rolls. She gave me the knowledge I needed to determine what my path in education would be. When I took Communication 1105, Introduction to Public Speaking with Dr. Rolls, I absolutely fell in love with communication. I knew right away that this is what I’m supposed to be doing. I did so well in the course that Dr. Rolls advised me to become a Peer Lab Facilitator. I am now in the process of becoming a facilitator and I couldn’t be happier. It is a great feeling waking up every morning and being excited to learn what you love while having the opportunity to teach your peers. It recently came to my attention that CBU is the only school in North America that offers students the chance to become Peer Lab Facilitators. I strongly believe that opportunities like these don’t come easily at larger universities and these are the things that will help set me apart from others when my degree ends and the search for a career begins.

CBU has a welcoming atmosphere that makes me feel like anything is possible. Because of this, I’ve been a member of different societies including the Political Science and Psychology Societies. I also volunteered as a Frosh Leader for Orientation Week and was able to start my own society where I could pursue my passion for dancing.

My favourite thing about CBU is that it is a small university. I am not just a number here, I matter! I receive the opportunity to make personal connections with professors who want me to thrive. I never expected the professors to invest much time and effort into their students, but the CBU professors did just that.  

Because CBU is a small university, I was able to build lifelong friendships here. Being local to the area I didn’t think I would make the number of friends that I did. I feel that I have grown as a person and I’m still enjoying the experiences along the way. I encourage students, both new and old, to get involved. Getting involved enhances your experience, lets you meet new people and can lead to great opportunities within the university. As an example, this past summer I was fortunate enough to work in the Cape Breton University’s Marketing and Communication department as a member of the CBU Road Squad. I had the opportunity to travel all over our beautiful island, exploring hidden treasures, attending festivals and hiking world-renowned trails, all while promoting CBU. It was truly the ultimate summer job.

I will be forever thankful for all of my experiences and opportunities here at Cape Breton University and I’m so incredibly happy I made the choice to come here.

-Danielle Flynn, Bachelor of Arts student.