Breath In, Write Out PFAU: Academic Writing

This week’s episode is about anti-Black racism - what is it and what does it mean for a more inclusive society? Unfortunately, even after the Civil Rights Movement in the US, Black Lives Matters, and countless acts of civil disobedience and protest, racism persists in Canada and the world. More recently, we have been hearing about concepts about anti-Black racism, but many people do not know what this means. We thought this topic would be important for students who want to become Black allies and do what they can to fight against structural racism.

Today’s podcast guest is Jemimah Amos, PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Windsor. Her PhD dissertation focuses on the encounters of African immigrant women with the labour market in Canada. She adopts an approach that reiterates the intersectionality of race, gender, and class. Jemimah is also working with a research team to develop an online course that will teach students how to effectively intervene when they witness an act of anti-racism.

This week’s episode is about the online undergraduate experience. Going to university is a wonderful opportunity to not only learn about a diverse array of subjects, but also make friends and build social networks. There are several universities in Canada that operate solely online, such as Athabasca University. Online universities are a great resource for students who are in remote areas or mature students, but it can be hard to cultivate the same interpersonal relationships as being on campus studying. We thought this would be a good topic to discuss as many students have been and are continuing to study online during COVID.

This week’s guest is Devon Mair, a Business student at Athabasca University and Social Media Marketing Assistant at PFAU, who is passionate about marketing and art. Devon previously studied Criminology and Teaching, and found the perfect place where she can apply her passion for helping. She is a people-person, community-minded, and an amazing social connector.

This week’s episode is part of our series, Careers in the Liberal Arts. People often undervalue Liberal Arts degrees, but there’s a lot to gain from a Bachelor of Arts that can help you in any number of careers. Economics, for instance, is a valuable area of study for individuals interested in international business or trade. Understanding what you can do with an Economics degree can help you to truly value the content of the courses you’re enrolled in, and find ways to gain practical experience to develop a meaningful career after graduation.

This week’s guest is Jay Qin. He is a Principal at Sard Verbinnen in Hong Kong. Prior to joining SVC, Jay was a transactional lawyer with two leading UK international law firms. Jay has advised a variety of clients, including those in the technology, venture capital, private equity, retail and manufacturing sectors. Jay has advised clients on M&A, cross-border investments, fundraising rounds, diverse commercial arrangement and regulatory matters, often acting as the external general counsel for his clients. Currently, Jay is doing strategic communications for crisis management SVC.

Jay graduated with honors from the University of Toronto with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and specialized international relations master’s degree in Asia Pacific Studies. He has also obtained a Juris Doctor degree and Postgraduate Certificate in Laws from the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

This week’s episode is about the art of networking. We thought this topic would be helpful to students who have recently graduated and are working on finding their first full-time job. While job searching can be very stressful, having the right tools and strategy can make success easy.

Robert Braathe is the founder of Braathe Enterprises, serving as a business trainer and leader of The Career Service Station, BEYourStart and TEMPO Business Training. Mr. Braathe received his MBA from Western Connecticut State University and his Bachelor of Arts in Hospitality from UMass. In addition, he has taken PhD level courses from The University at Albany and Northcentral University. After working in management positions with Walt Disney World, Gap and Apple, Mr. Braathe founded his company in October 2005. Mr. Braathe teaches at The College of St. Rose and several community colleges and private colleges in courses that include hospitality, management, marketing, and entrepreneurship.

This week’s episode is about the gifts that writing can provide to your mental health. Writing can be a great emotional relief, healing old wounds, providing unique insights, and enhancing personal growth. Journaling and self-reflecting are practices that I engage in daily, and make a huge difference in the quality of my life. I find creative writing an amazing outlet to tap into childhood memories and expand my self-awareness too.

Today’s guest is Linh Nguyen, a Vietnamese-Canadian writer and workshop facilitator, passionate about #OwnVoices storytelling and creating space for underrepresented artists in mainstream media. She holds an H.B.A. in English from the University of Toronto and specializes in writing creative non-fiction and children’s literature and is currently pursuing her Masters at Cambridge. Her current project is a middle-grade children’s portal fantasy manuscript, which she is revising for publication.

This week’s episode is about the study of Sociology. Sociology is the study of human interaction or individuals as members of a group. Many students take a first-year Sociology course unsure what it is about and may even leave the course confused or overwhelmed by the breadth of information and topics that can be researched in the field of Sociology. In particular, students coming out of high school may be unfamiliar with the use of theories and methodologies to conduct research and write papers.

This week’s guest is Jemimah Amos, PhD candidate in Sociology at the University of Windsor and PFAU Academic Writing coach and editor. Her academic and research interests include migration, race and ethnicity, feminism, and qualitative methodologies. She is also an academic tutor and graduate assistant in the department of Sociology at the University of Windsor working closely with students to improve their understanding of course materials, assignments delivery, and essay writing. Jemimiah moved to Canada from Lagos, Nigeria in 2017. She enjoys reading, travelling, brainstorming, and watching movies.