Positive Study Experience Leading to Positive Work Experience: Zach MacIsaac’s Point of View
Written by Simon Auffrey Arsenault
Thumbnail & Banner photo by Zach MacIsaac
Does a positive experience at a postsecondary institution directly impact your future endeavors from a professional perspective? That questioning, along with a recommendation from our executive editor, has led to me seeking out the perspective of Zach MacIsaac, as I strongly believe that he is an alumnus with great insight into university life, and how to make the most of it.
Photo by Simon Auffrey
Zach started his studies at NSCC (Nova Scotia Community College) in a program that allowed him to complete 2 years at College. He transferred his accumulated credit to a bachelor’s degree at Saint Mary’s where he was required to complete 2 years of studies. After realizing that he loved the university so much, due to the small community feeling, closeness with professors, frequent events, and the individuals he met, he decided to extend his studies to 4 years at Saint Mary’s rather than the required 2 years. Throughout his academic journey at University, Zach was able to experience and try different programs and majors, settling with a major in Social Justice and Community, along with a minor in Psychology and Sociology, and a certificate in Human Resources.
From a professional perspective, during his 4 year academic journey at Saint Mary’s, Zach wore many hats from a career perspective, working as an “RA” (residence assistant) for 3 years, an RSO (Residence Security Officer) for 2 years, as a “TA” (Teacher’s Assistant), along with being a programming assistant for residence life for 3 years. By having these forms of employment, he was able to find a passion for students and provide positive and rewarding experiences, which has ultimately made him decide to work in the field he is in today, which is still focused on students! He currently works for NSCC (Nova Scotia Community College) as a housing coordinator and admits to loving his current field of employment, as he gets to have an impact on students, one of his core values.
Zach attributes his positive attitude towards his time at University to a certain philosophy, which consists of balancing his social and academic life. During his studies, he adopted a combination of both, as in his opinion, a combination of both academics and social life ultimately made his experience at Saint Mary’s an unforgettable one, despite a life changing time period, the COVID-19 pandemic, occurring soon after he had started his studies at university, meaning that some events he loved to attend or be a part of were being paused until things settled down from a health perspective.
As mentioned above, during his time at Saint Mary’s, Zach was one among many students to have experienced a global pandemic, COVID-19. He admitted that upon the official declaration of the pandemic, the campus was destined to be closed for 1 week to evaluate the situation, which at first, was interpreted as one extra week of reading week. At first, only a week was called off, however as time went by, it ended up being the remainder of the 2020 Winter semester. He emphasized the fact that professors made sure that students felt comfortable, cared for, and assisted as was needed in such a difficult period.
Despite this change in how the world functioned, Zach admitted that the close-knit community feeling that Saint Mary’s is known for was still present, with peers and professors still being very caring and supportive in uncertain times. This small-community feeling is what ultimately attracted our guest to complete his studies at Saint Mary’s, along with the smaller campus size, which makes it easier, and hassle-free, to navigate to classes or events. Notably, the University’s good reputation in undergraduate degrees made his decision very easy, Saint Mary’s was the place to go!
To sum up, Zach has some words of wisdom to offer students who are beginning their studies at Saint Mary’s: “Enjoy all of your moments while at University as time goes by very fast, and maintain healthy connections with professors, supervisors, and students that you meet as they can be used as references for employment in the professional world. Hold on to memories, they will hold on to you. SMU stays with you. Be yourself in the professional world. People value your opinions.” - Zach MacIsaac, 2024