Be You @ BU Magazine Fall 2021

On October 24, 2015 I came to Bishop’s University to attend the yearly Recruitment Open House. For those who may not know, during each Bishop’s Open House held in the fall, prospective students have the opportunity to participate in the accelerated admissions process. In other words, you apply to Bishop’s University when you arrive in the morning, and by the end of the day, the Principal is shaking your hand and welcoming you to Bishop’s as a new student. I never wanted to go to university. I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life and I def- initely didn’t see myself sitting in a massive classroom alongside 399 RWKHU ̬UVW \HDU VWXGHQWV , ZDQWHG D KROLVWLF DQG FRPPXQLW\ RULHQWHG environment. I knew I didn’t thrive in lecture-based academics so why ZRXOG , JR WR XQLYHUVLW\ ULJKW" :URQJ )URP WKH ̬UVW WLPH , VWHSSHG RQ the Bishop’s University campus, I was ready to go. My name is Lauren Hutchings, and I am from Stittsville, Ontario. I DP D ̬IWK \HDU HGXFDWLRQ VWXGHQW ZKR KDV FRPSOHWHG D %DFKHORU RI Arts in Educational Studies, as well as a minor in Applied Psychology. Currently, I am working on my Bachelor of Education and therefore, completing my last semester at Bishop’s. When I was in grade 10, my VLVWHU PRYHG DZD\ IURP KRPH WR VWDUW KHU ̬UVW \HDU DW %LVKRSʌV )RU WKRVH ZKR NQRZ P\ VLVWHU DQG , ZH FRXOG QRW EH PRUH GL̫HUHQW %XW LQ the end, she is my best friend. To keep it simple, she is a big time intro- vert and I’m not. I would often come to Bishop’s during high school to visit her and everyone I met just treated me like their friend. Like some- one they had been studying alongside all school year or passed every day in the Quad. I wasn’t seen as the younger sister who was just being EDE\ VDW E\ KHU ELJ VLVWHU , ZDV MXVW PH DQG WKDW ZDV FRPSOHWHO\ ̬QH :KHQ WKH WLPH FDPH WR FKRRVH D VFKRRO , GLGQʌW HQG XS JRLQJ DQG WRXULQJ DQ\ RWKHU XQLYHUVLW\ , NQHZ H[DFWO\ ZKHUH , ZDQWHG WR EH As soon as I could apply in grade 12, I did. So fast forward to October 24, 2015 when I shook the Principal’s hand and was welcomed to Bishop’s University. Fast forward again to 2021, when Dan Seneker asked me what I thought it meant to be a Bishop’s University Gaiter. 5HPHPEHU ZKHQ , VDLG WKDW P\ VLVWHU DQG , ZHUH FRPSOHWHO\ GL̫HUHQW" That just shows you right there what it means to be a Gaiter at Bishop’s. It means that you can come to this university and be exactly who you DUH 6R KRQHVWO\ EHLQJ D *DLWHU LV GL̫HUHQW IRU HYHU\RQH

Lauren Hutchings Hometown: Stittsville, Ontario Program: Education Favourite Thing About Bishop’s: The diversity of the BU community Fact: I plan on pursuing a career in Special Education

Me (right), receiving my admission letter 5 years ago!

8

9