Larissa M.
Chancellor’s Scholarship
Biography
Larissa graduated from Daysland School in Daysland, AB. Larissa is proud of overcoming the challenges of living with type 1 diabetes while also being a competitive athlete, achieving academically, and being an involved member of her community. Additionally, she participated in the 4-H Alberta program and found it very personally rewarding. Finally, she was a recipient of the Premier Citizenship Award from her school for her devotion to mental health advocacy and student involvement.
Larissa chose to study at UCalgary for her undergrad after attending a campus tour. She was drawn to the outgoing nature that she felt around the campus. She was initially apprehensive about being able to adjust from her small school atmosphere to the busy university, but her worries vanished when she saw the vast amount of student resources and programs that would support her. With family so far away, she felt welcomed and accepted here on campus.
Larissa is enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts program, majoring in Sociology. She chose this major because she felt it would be a good foundation for her goal of applying to the Bachelor of Social Work program here at UCalgary.
In the future, Larissa wants to obtain a Master of Social Work degree, focusing on international and community development. With this, she wants to address rural healthcare accessibility challenges faced by both Canadians and international communities. As someone from rural Alberta, she feels a personal connection with this issue.
For Larissa, receiving the Prestige Award has allowed her to pursue her passion for making a difference in the lives of others by connecting with various community networks, as well as relieving the financial burden of post-secondary education.
Larissa is very interested in learning more about social work practices when she applies to the Bachelor of Social Work program. She hopes that throughout her studies, she can gain a multifaceted lens of the challenges individuals face in Canada, and globally, to guide her future practices.