Heather Armstrong

What education have you taken?

I wish I could say something really cool here but unfortunately all I have is the fact that I completed my high school education in Virden Collegiate Institute, and am currently on my third year of completing my 4 Year Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Psychology at Brandon University.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

There are a ton of things that I am really proud of, especially within these past couple of years.  I am incredibly proud that I volunteer and work for Canadian Blood Services, Smitten Premium Adult Boutique, and Westwind Counseling.  I take a lot of pride in these places because I truly believe in their causes, whether it’s blood donations to help people, helping curb stigma and promoting healthy sexuality, or understanding the tribulations and positivity surrounding body image and self-esteem.  As president of the Psychology Club, I am also extremely proud that we have taken initiative to work with other clubs and be more involved in the university, such as with the Mental Health week.  The Psychology Club has also raised enough money through fundraising and donations to be able to start the Students Helping Students Bursary, which is aimed towards Psychology majors and minor.  It’s extremely gratifying and amazing to be able to help students go to university!   I am most proud of the fact that I have a ton of people in my life who love me dearly, whether it’s family or friends; without them I would be a complete and utter wreck of a person.  I am also extremely flattered, flabbergasted, and honoured that I was nominated for International Women’s Week at all!  You have no idea what this means to me.

Tell me about yourself.

Well, let’s see… one day I was running around a nuclear reactor, like I do usually on Tuesday afternoons, and found out that I was somehow irradiated with gamma rays.  I was completely fine because my body is dope, until I came home to discover that the pizza and tacquitos that I had been saving had been eaten.  I became … angry … and turned into … THE SHE-HULK!  No.  I wish.  I’m just a weird lady.  You may know me through sight as I am that woman who sits in the hallway beside Look Music and plays with Buddy the dog for almost an hour.  I enjoy the human brain and eyes perhaps a little too much (honestly, I would love to hold a human brain in my hands at least once), serial killers fascinate me, I really love peanut butter and comic book villains, I have an old study skeleton chilling in my living room named Mr. Bojangles, and I am full of really random facts about sex that you probably never want to hear but I say anyways.  That’s me in a nutshell.

How did I become interested in my field of study?

I did not know what to do with my life when I came into Brandon University.  I took a variety of science-oriented courses like Chemistry, Biology, and Psychology in my first year of university and discovered that Psychology was the one area of study that really struck this flame of intrigue and motivation within me.  Human behaviour and the human brain fascinate me so much that I knew I had to and really wanted to pursue Psychology further.  The only thing that they don’t tell you is that once you start the Psychology route, you’ll start self-diagnosing yourself with a ton of different things you learn in class.

What is your philosophy in life?

My philosophy in life is “do not judge someone, as you have no idea what their journey in life is like”.  It really irks me when I hear people making fun of someone who is walking down the street or within class because you have no idea who that person is nor what s/he has been through in life.  Every person I have met and became fantastic friends with have told me of their own struggles and issues, and 9 out of 10 times you would never guess that s/he has gone through that much in his/her life.  As a result, I try to be as kind and courteous to as many people I come into contact with as much as possible (despite the fact that I think I have that chronic-bitch-face syndrome).  I really have my mom to thank for this, as she taught this to me as a youngin’ and I’ve held it close to my heart my entire life.

Where do I see myself in the future?

While I would love to see myself somehow best friends with Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Hiddleston, living in a world where I had my own gourmet chef who would cook whatever I want at any time of the day, I realistically see myself working with and helping people.  My goal in life is to work with and interact with all kinds of criminals.  I would absolutely love to talk with them about their decisions in life, what crimes they committed and why they did what they did.  I also know that I would be just as happy being a counselor, embodying the stepping stone needed for someone to recognize and take the necessary actions needed to enjoy a happier life.  As long as I am working with people and helping them out, I’ll be happy.

Nominator’s comments:

Heather is a successful student, a great representative of the psychology department and our program, and she is an engaged BU community member.  Whereas we have helped develop her knowledge of psychology, she has in turn helped to build the campus community and to support other students.  We are lucky to have her here. Heather and the current Psychology club members (along with last year’s club members) have helped to stimulate involvement in the psychology club.  She has initiated a series of fundraiser and social events to support students and bring faculty and students together.  Just recently, the psychology club was successful in establishing an endowment for a student in psychology.