Theresa Mahood
What education have you taken?
I am currently in my third year at Brandon University studying chemistry
What accomplishments are you proud of?
I am proud of the volunteering and fund-raising I did in High School and with the Brandon University Chemistry Club. I am also proud of the impact I have had on the community through my work with children at both MiniU and Career Trek. I feel that educating the youth is vital for a stable and successful world and that it should not be over looked. A personal achievement that I am proud of is my blue belt in judo which I received in the summer of 2013 while teaching a judo class for MiniU.
Tell me about yourself / your background/ your history
I was born and raised in Brandon, Manitoba. I attended New Era elementary school and then graduated from Neelin High School in 2012 with a French Immersion Diploma and 3 International Baccalaureate (IB) certificates, in biology, chemistry, and math.
How did you become interested in your field of study?
I was initially planning on doing a biology degree but changed my mind in my first year to do a chemistry degree. My interest bloomed in the lab where we got to learn practical applications of the theories we learned in class. Furthermore, the thought that we could understand the life of the universe even after humans have passed inspired my curiosity. In addition, the friendly atmosphere and faculty of the chemistry department made my final decision easy.
What is you philosophy in life?
To fully understand the world around us, we must not look only at the good, but also at the bad.
Where do you see yourself in the future?
I am applying to various colleges of optometry for the fall of 2015. Once I have completed my education there, I plan on using my skill set to help others.
Nominators’ comments
I would like to nominate Theresa Mahood as an exceptional female student. Theresa has been very active student at Brandon University where she is completing a 3-year Chemistry Major (Psychology minor). She has been placed on the Honours List in each of the last two years. She is the current co-President of the BU Chemistry Club and serviced on the executive last year as well. She has been involved in many of the Department’s outreach activities, Winterlude being a good example or Careers in Chemistry Night. Theresa has served as both campus coordinator and group leader for the Career Trek program, in addition to being a laboratory assistant in numerous Chemistry labs. Recently she was a research assistant in Chemistry analyzing Nicaraguan pottery residues. Theresa is applying to Optometry this spring.
When first introduced to Theresa over this past summer I immediately noticed her drive and dedication.. She was also very receptive to tips and suggestions. She has consistently showed a very high level of academic preparation and maturity. In the teaching lab I can tell that she is familiar with bench-research. As a primarily undergraduate institution, this level of comfort in the lab is quite unusual. She works cleanly and efficiently, but most importantly, she asks the right questions. This clearly demonstrates to me a level of academic and intellectual maturity. Furthermore, her CV suggests a consistently high level of academic performance. Therefore, Theresa has all the makings of an exceptional student – and someday a future leader in her chosen profession.
Theresa is also co-president of the Chemistry Club. I have personally seen Theresa invest much time and concern into the Chemistry Club and especially into students taking the first year General Chemistry class.
In all, I believe that Theresa is an ideal candidate for the Exceptional Female Student Award. She is academically solid, hardworking, naturally inquisitive, has high ambitions and has shown leadership skills and potential.