Alyssa Barker

What education have you taken?

I graduated with a French Immersion diploma and International Baccalaureate (IB) certificates in English, Biology and Chemistry from Neelin High School. I’m in my third year at Brandon University, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with a major in French and a minor in English.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I’m proud of the many scholarships and bursaries that I’ve received such as the Brandon University Centennial Scholarship and the Jean Chase Bursary. I have been placed on the Brandon University Honours List twice, inducted into the Brandon University President’s Honour Society, and am also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.

Tell me about yourself/ your background/ your history.

I moved to Brandon from Winnipeg six years ago and I enjoy volunteering and attending community events, which I find a lot easier to do here in Brandon. I started working at a pet store and was able to help a number of animals find homes, including a dog that I adopted myself. I’ve also been working towards getting black belts in both ITF Taekwon-Do and MATA-MA.

How did you become interested in your field of study?

I’ve been in French Immersion since kindergarten and developed a love of the language at an early age. I realized the importance of communication later on and now value the ability to interact with people who speak different languages.

What is your philosophy of life?

Pursue what makes you happy and be careful to balance the stress of everyday life.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I would love to travel and learn more languages, but I see myself focusing on finding what I want to do that will make me happiest in the years to come. I would like to become a more confident and stronger person who will act instead of watching things happen around me.

Nominator’s Comments

Alyssa Barker is exceptional.