Beatrice Gatien

Give a brief bio about yourself/your background/your history.

I was born and raised here in Brandon and am in my third year at BU! My parents are both from the Maritimes, so I spent quite a bit of time out there, too, and consider it a second home. I grew up immersed in music and have been playing the piano for about thirteen years. I participated in Brandon Festival of the Arts (BFA) for several years, and from there I got to play in the Associated Manitoba Arts Festival (AMAF). Another big part of my life is volunteer work. I started volunteering at Fairview Personal Care Home when I was fifteen and continued until the pandemic hit in March 2020. I transferred to the Brandon Regional Health Centre a few months later and am still volunteering there (though not as often as I would like). Since 2020, I have been able to volunteer in the Westman Lab, the ER, at the main desk, and recently in the NICU! I’ve also volunteered at the Brandon Jazz Festival, the Eckhardt-Gramatté National Music Competition, and the Red Lodge Music Festival. I teach piano lessons at Ted Good Music and Faders Music, which is always a highlight in my week. In the summers, I also work in Dr. Majumder’s breast cancer research lab!

What education have you taken?

I graduated from Neelin High School in 2020, and I’m currently in my third year at Brandon University, majoring in music and biology!

How did you become interested in your field/area of study?

In terms of my interest in music, that was practically engrained in me. My dad is a musician, and is someone I have always looked up to. He brought me to many concerts when I was young, which fostered my love for music. I started taking piano lessons with the amazing Mary Jo Carrabré through the BU Conservatory when I was seven and studied with her until I was sixteen. I also took music theory lessons with Dr. Gretta Sayers, who quickly became an important mentor in my life. I took quite a long break from piano during the pandemic, but Dr. Masaki has helped me dive back into it over the past year and encouraged me to pursue music as a major, alongside biology. She is truly such a supportive and dedicated teacher, and I am thrilled to be getting more involved with music again.

Biology quickly became one of my favourite subjects in high school, especially since I had such fantastic teachers. There were also people in my life that I was inspired by, including my grandfather, who was a paediatrician. I wasn’t set on majoring in biology, however, until I met Dr. Majumder. I was hired to work in her lab as a research assistant after my first year (with no lab experience whatsoever – she was brave!), and by the end of that summer I was sure that I wanted to go further into biology. Dr. Majumder is currently working on developing a diagnostic blood test for breast cancer, as well as investigating potential therapeutic targets. Her subject of research hits home because my mom is recovering from breast cancer after being diagnosed just before I started university. For that reason, Dr. Majumder is truly a hero to me.

What accomplishments are you most proud of?

I’m proud of the work that I do in Dr. Majumder’s lab; I feel very lucky to have that opportunity and to work with such great people. Jumping back into piano this year is also something I’m proud of – I was nervous since I hadn’t played in such a long time. It has been very rewarding to get back into it, and I’m enjoying the pieces that I’m learning! I’ve been lucky to receive some scholarships from BU, as well some piano scholarships from the BFA and the AMAF.

Where do you see yourself in the future? What do you hope to undertake or accomplish once you leave BU?

I am very passionate about healthcare, so I’m thinking about applying to medical school! I could also see myself pursuing a master’s degree.

What is your philosophy in life?

I don’t know if I have a philosophy, but I truly believe in learning from those around you. I have a lot of amazing people in my life, and I try to learn as much as possible from them.

In one sentence, how will you #EmbraceEquity?

I will #EmbraceEquity by following the examples set by the female role models in my life and looking for opportunities to support others.

First Nominator’s Comments:

I am super excited to nominate Ms. Beatrice Gatien for the “International Women’s Day Award” for 2023. Beatrice brings a vibe of positive energy and can make a room full of joy within minutes. In a very adverse situation, I saw Beatrice come and composed and always stay positive. Beatrice joined my laboratory as a summer student in 2021 and she has completed a “Topics in Research’ course with me. As a research personnel, Beatrice is excellent. Within a few weeks in my lab, Beatrice finished training and learned all cell and molecular biology techniques. She is a very motivated and hard-working student who is doing double major degrees in Biology and Music and maintained a cumulative GPA of 4.0. With a very high workload, Beatrice continued volunteering in my lab. She volunteered in Brandon Regional Health Centre and in the Westman Lab, during COVID19 infection. Beatrice’s love and passion is music. She is very motivated and always ready to serve the community. She is a designated piano instructor and enjoys as an instructor for young children. During her research training in my lab, she was motivated more than before to do a double major degree. She found biology and music are very related subjects and focusing on one subject, makes her engaged more in the other. Beatrice worked full-time last summer in my lab as a research assistant and assisted senior students with their projects. She independently generated data and the best quality of Beatrice is her outstanding writing skills. She is contributing to an original scientific publication and earned an authorship position in it. These are excellent leadership qualities. To her credit, Beatrice is inducted into President’s Society, and she received the Jack Spalding Family Bursary in Music this year. Due to her passion and determination, Beatrice would be an excellent scientist and also an exceptional musician, a rare combination. I have no doubts that her abilities will continue to grow. Beatrice is a true inspiration and deserves this award.

Second Nominator’s Comments:

It is my great pleasure to nominate Beatrice Gatien for an International Women’s Day award. Beatrice is a highly intelligent and motivated student navigating the challenges of a double major in music and biology. While each individual degree on its own can be formidable, Beatrice manages both of them admirably. Her day-to-day schedule requires refocusing quickly between her two fields of study from participating in a biology lab to a choir rehearsal or shifting from an ecotoxicology class to a music theory class. Beatrice is extremely bright and as she moves between disciplines, she regularly makes connections between the philosophies and pedagogies in both science and music finding commonalities between disciplines that are insightful beyond her years. She is an excellent pianist with a sensitive ear for collaborative performance. Her exceptional success in music courses is one of her greatest strengths revealing a combination of her fine musicianship and analytical intelligence. Her knowledge and expertise in biology has led to successful collaborations in research and publications.

Beyond her successes at BU, Beatrice is committed to making a difference in her community. Her service to health care started in high school when she began volunteering at Fairview Personal Care Home and later at Brandon Regional Health Centre. She continued her volunteer work at the hospital through the pandemic helping at the forefront of healthcare through the height of the COVID-19 crisis. She has also shared her love of music and education with young children and taught piano for several years. 
Beatrice is a gem. She is compassionate, kind, creative, and perceptive. I feel lucky to have her as a student and look forward to watching her continued success here at BU and beyond.