Moving to Montréal was a major life change for Clare, who recently started the second year of her Applied Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (S-LP) in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders (SCSD). Born and raised in Truro, Nova Scotia, which has a population of just over 12,000, she has no regrets about her new home. “Montréal is the largest place I’ve ever lived, and I’ve been loving the city and McGill so far!”
After completing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Clare moved to Halifax to finish the fifth year of her undergrad remotely. When it came time to choose a graduate program, Montréal was a huge factor in her decision to apply to McGill.
Making the move to Montreal
“I did French immersion all through school, so I thought, if I move to Montréal, I’ll get to use my French and really immerse myself in a different culture,” she shares. “I also love that Québec in general feels culturally unique to the rest of Canada , and there’s an amazing arts and music scene in Montréal which, as a musician, was really exciting.”
Another big draw for Clare was McGill’s Speech-Language Pathology program. “It’s nice because it has small classes and a tight-knit group. I checked out the faculty website and it seemed like a really strong community with all kinds of cool opportunities for volunteering and research.”
Getting involved on campus
As soon as Clare settled into McGill, she set out to make the most of those opportunities to get involved in the campus community. She was voted First-Year Representative for the SCSD, acting as the liaison between first years and the Student Council. She also worked as the S-LP representative for the Explore! program, which provides hands-on workshops on different health professions to high schoolers.
"It was great to interact with students from other faculties and I’d love to do more of that this year if possible—getting involved with other faculties and the broader campus community.”
Clare spent the summer back home recording her debut EP, which she describes as a mix of Indie, pop folk and soul with jazz influences. Now back on campus for her second year, Clare is SCSD President and Second-Year Representative, which involves holding meetings and overseeing the general operations of the SCSD Student Council.
Words of advice for new grad students
“My best advice is to make sure you have a life outside of your studies. I find being able to take a music break or just go out with friends and have other things in my life I’m passionate about really energizes me. That work-life balance is so important.”
Off campus, Clare plans to take advantage of Montréal’s world-famous music scene, attending as many concerts as she can now that they’re coming back post-pandemic. She also hopes to join a choir or band and meet new people who share her passion for music.
“Every day, I want to make the most of living in Montreal and being at such a terrific university. For incoming grad students, I would say get out of your department, explore the campus and the broader community. Because they’re so big, I’m certain Montréal and McGill have a place for you.”