Louise Ferguson

What education have you taken?

I am currently completing my final year of a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree with a major in English Literature and a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies.

What accomplishments are you proud of?

I have been fortunate enough to receive several scholarships and awards during my time at Brandon University. Receiving positive feedback from my professors for course work (and writing in particular) has also been especially encouraging and motivating for me.

Additionally, I am proud of the children’s programs that I have been able to help organize and execute in my position as a Student Assistant at the Brandon Public Library. To see children connecting with and getting excited about books has been so rewarding!

I am so surprised but also very grateful to be nominated for this profile because there are so many amazing women at Brandon University that are deserving of recognition.

Tell me about yourself.

I was born and raised in Brandon, though I spent several of my teenage years living on Vancouver Island (which is still one of my favourite places on Earth). I am lucky enough to have a strong support system and that has helped me immensely in the pursuit of my goals both in and outside of university.

I love to read and also enjoy writing, cooking and baking, hiking, and spending time with my loved ones.

How did you become interested in your field of study?

It took me a few years to decide on the direction that I wanted to take with my degree, mostly because I enjoyed every subject that I explored in the Humanities and Social Sciences and could see myself pursuing a degree in any of those areas.

Eventually I decided on a major in English. I have always loved to read so once I realized that I could earn a degree by reading and discussing literature I knew that I was in the right department.

Gender and Women’s Studies has also been close to my heart ever since I enrolled in introductory courses on a whim as a first year student. It was such an eye-opening and empowering experience that I ultimately decided to pursue a minor in the field.

What is your philosophy in life?

I don’t know that I have a philosophy at this point in my life, but I have always gotten good advice from my parents who have encouraged me to pursue my passions and taught me not to let the fear of failure stand in the way of trying something new, and that has stuck with me.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I don’t have a particularly clear picture of where I’ll be in the future but I hope to continue to further my education and learn as much as possible. If I could be involved in fostering a love of literature in others in some way (like so many of my teachers, librarians, and professors have done for me), that would make me really happy.

Nominator’s comments:

I would nominate Louise Ferguson. Her thinking and writing are of such a high quality. Whether in oral or written form, every issue that she addresses is treated with care and sensitivity. I’m not familiar with her work outside BU, but in any intellectual context, she is simply a fine thinker.