By: Julia Wagner

Going to Sheridan has completely changed my life. I came to Sheridan right after high school with no other post-secondary experience. For the first half of semester one, I was stressed every day, worried that everything I was doing wasn’t enough to prepare me for my first ever set of mid-term exams. I thought I wasn’t taking enough notes, I wasn’t practicing enough and I wasn’t studying hard enough. However, through the inspiration of two of my professors and sheer willpower, I made it through my first set of mid-term exams with flying colours. 

Two professors that helped me overcome these challenges were John Cooper and Edward Marinos. I had both professors in my first semester and they inspired me through their passion for their jobs, and their continuous support in class. Each professor had worked in their respective fields for many years, which allowed them to connect their experience back to what we were learning in class. John was also my Creative Learning Portfolio professor, and he helped me to learn more about myself as a person, as a learner, and as a professional. This helped me to gain confidence in myself and allowed me to realize which learning techniques work best for me. On the other hand, Edward was my Business Fundamentals professor, and he was able to introduce me to all different areas of business which proved to me that I was meant to be in the marketing program.

The professors' drive and passion for their jobs combined with fantastic teaching styles motivated me to continue in the program and work hard to succeed. This led me to receive excellent marks on not only that term’s exams, but all of the midterm and final exams I have taken thus far. That first term taught me a lot about myself, which is something I never could have done if it weren’t for their support. I now know that I am meant to be in this program, and I am meant to be at Sheridan.

In a time of incredible change, we are all experiencing this monumental shift together. With a global pandemic, the transition into online schooling and so much more, members of the Sheridan community have become chameleons to welcoming change into their daily routines.

But not every situation starts and ends so easily. There are hardships, challenges and struggles that we experience to come out successfully on the other side. In this blog series, students, Sheridan Alumni, and members of our Sheridan community will share their stories of resilience and how they were able to overcome these obstacles.

The obstacles will vary from physical, emotional and mental, and our hope is that there will be something for everyone to read and grow from.

We are proud to call this series #SherYourStory.

 If you wish to be a part of it, you can submit your stories either publicly or anonymously here.