Profile: Chris
My life as a student:
I went to university to become a lawyer. Then I switched to pre-med to become a dentist. I finally decided to get a degree that I enjoyed and just get out of school. So, I graduated with a degree in History and Human Geography.
History gave me insight as to who we are as a society. Geography incorporated so many disciplines that I got to experience a little of everything. Oh ya, geography also had a lot of field trips!
To be a history / geography major, you have to have a good mix of an analytical mind and a philosophical mind.
To excel in history, you need to look at it as a story which will give purpose to whatever you are reading.
For human geography, treat it as a vehicle to making the world a better place.
My advice for students in these majors? Volunteer or work in your field as much as you can. This will help you comprehend the material in class and help you find work once you graduate.
At university, I liked the freedom to do whatever I wanted – when I wanted. I liked the the thought that I was accomplishing something great. I liked the all-you-can-eat dorm food.
I didn’t like the prof’s expectations.
>I didn’t like students who weren’t being real – they did whatever the crowd was doing instead of what they believed in.
I learned to be patient. To start early. To test ideas before I accept them.
University taught me that I had a long way to go if I ever wanted to be someone who had strong convictions. It was easier to be quiet than to say what I believed. I didn’t like the risk of being ridiculed.
I realized how much I needed acceptance. It was a pretty important thing for me.
I took a philosophy class at university that started me thinking about values. I used to choose my values by saying, “I don’t like that, so I’ll be like this”.
Big impact on my life:
I was attending a private school and my mother could not afford the tuition. Someone sponsored me anonymously.
I really liked the principal and admired him for his convictions and personal strength.
I opened up my mail and immediately realized that we had received his mail by accident. It was my tuition form saying that he had paid my tuition.
I never told him that I knew he was the anonymous donor. My admiration just got deeper for him. He taught me a lot about being there for someone in need.
This is me:
Integrity is a huge thing for me. I try to be the same person when no one is around as when there are people around.
I want to be myself – not a person who tries to please other people by acting in a way that is not me.
I have a dream to see that hundreds of thousands of people’s lives are better today because of how God used me in this world.
I’m a hockey fan if the Canucks are playing and a football fan if the BCLions are playing.
I might consider dying for a loaded pizza, a banana split, or a steak and potoatoes.
I’d hate to be without my wife and children.