Sarah Cheeseman (‘12)

Sarah Cheeseman (‘12) is a recent graduate who literally proclaims her love for her alma mater far and wide. She is proof also that while you must eventually leave Acadia, Acadia never really leaves you. Sarah is currently attending the University of Limerick Medical School in Ireland.

“I really wanted a smaller school so I had scouted out all of the schools in the Maritimes. Then I came to Acadia and loved the campus and loved all the people who were there. That made the decision for me. I wasn’t there very long, but I just made the decision. I came from Ontario – it was a long distance and sort of a risky decision, but I’m glad I made it now.

“It’s great at Acadia because you can really get involved and make changes and have lots of fun at the same time. For three years I was the student liaison to keep the communication bridge open between biology faculty and the students. I attended faculty meetings and brought up issues the students were having, took things to faculty and then from faculty to the students. It was open and they trusted what you had to say; it was a good place to be.

“When I went away to medical school, it was a hard transition for me. The university in Ireland is very large, much different from Acadia’s campus. But the Acadia faculty would be e-mailing me all the time asking how it was going. That really wouldn’t happen anywhere else. It’s kind of like having a lifelong mentor who never leaves you.

“I would recommend Acadia to anyone. It’s not really a school. It’s a family – the family of Acadia and the community of Wolfville. You’re not a number. The whole thing about undergrad I think is that it’s not so much what you learn in the classroom or what degree you have, it’s the experiences you have while you’re there: the friends and connections you make. Sometimes my medical school colleagues discuss which school they will call their alma mater. I’m the only who came from a small school in the Maritimes and they all very fascinated why I’m so proud of my school. We get into that discussion of what your alma mater will be – will it be your med school or undergrad? I just say, “Acadia.”