Like many households with young adults who are looking to take on new and exciting academic challenges, my husband and I suddenly felt overwhelmed when it came time to “shop” for universities.
We had always sought to give our daughter opportunities to develop a skill set that we could not instinctively provide. She made the best of the arts-concentration programs in her elementary, high school, and CEGEP years, and gradually became a sought-after alto chorister and graphic artist. She also spent 10 years camping outdoors with the Girl Guides of Canada, navigating the campgrounds as well as the Montréal metro. In our case, we are neither musicians nor campers – we are definitely city folks.
There were other obvious choices of universities just a few metro stops from home, but their programs did not speak to her. As parents, we did not want to invest time in another information session to hear a summary of what we could read about in a brochure. Then, Bishop’s sent a bus, free of charge, to pick our daughter and her CEGEP classmates up for a day trip to their campus! While there, she Facetimed us and took us along for the tour: “Look at the architecture of the buildings, look at the river, look at the indoor pool with water slides, look at the residences, they have their own sugar shack, theatres, and, oh the LIBRARY!”
Unlike other universities, the recruiters at BU did not leave it to our daughter to figure out where she might fit. They took the time to listen to her, noted where she came from, what her interests were, what her aspirations were, and then showed her tailored offerings that would fit. It became clear quite fast that she belonged in the Arts Administration program. She did not want to simply pursue being a live performer or creator, and this program would allow her to develop skills and knowledge to build her own business in the arts industry.
When we visited the campus at the open house to see for ourselves, we were sold! She’s not too far, yet not next door, so she’s gradually learning to be autonomous and to connect with the professionals and staff who support her and give her crucial experiential opportunities to test what she’s learned. She feels safe and is enjoying residence life. She is able to bus home for most holidays. She loves Bishop’s so much that she has become an ambassador – you may have the chance to meet her if she is your tour guide when you visit!
Anny LeCault
John Hughes
