Original Post Date June 2, 2017

I am thrilled to announce that Mount Allison University graduate, Amanda Hebert was awarded the David Beatty History Prize at this year’s convocation in Sackville, New Brunswick. The David Beatty History Prize commemorates the career of my father, Dr. David Beatty, “a much admired teacher and scholar.” The prize is awarded each year to the student graduating with the highest GPA in honours history. Amanda’s father, John said to me, “it was a special moment for our family in many ways and Amanda was extremely honoured to win the prize given our respect for your father who continues to inspire.”

Not only was John a student of my father’s back in the 1980s, but he also taught briefly alongside my mother, Mary Jean, across the border in Nova Scotia at Amherst Regional High School in 1985. Hebert added, “my daughter was determined to win the award as it is presented for top GPA in Honours history. Your Dad and I exchanged many a Christmas card and when my daughter was young he always asked for a picture. It was a great ceremony, and the last one for Peter Mansbridge as Chancellor as well.”

Ppl keep sending me anonymous asks and I dO NOT CHECK MY ASKS ENOUGH so sorry for however late this is and that you probably won’t see the response.

I generally really liked my time at Mount Allison. I also went there 2012-2017 so it’s been a bit. I did the music program and drama so I was really entrenched in those departments and didn’t get out a LOT more than that so take my experience with that grain of salt.

I was never big into the residence/student life. A lot of it for me was like. This is how you can find friends maybe. Or this is how you can spend some time until you find friends, and then you’ll never want to do this events because they just don’t mesh with your vibe. Some people love campus events tho so. I may just be super introverted/quirky.

Living in residence has changed since I was there I’m sure, as most rooms are now singles/en-suite bathrooms and stuff. I totally would’ve preferred that. It sounds awesome. I did live in residence for 3 years and off campus for 2. Off campus living is essentially decided a year in advance but there are some nice spots, and compared to rent I had to pay later in my life, rent in Sackville is a beautiful cheap joke.

The professors I had (save for 1 crake fellow in drama) were AMAZING. Extremely supportive and progressive people. They want you to succeed and will typically offer you the opportunities to make that happen. I was also blessed with an amazing voice prof who is currently the dean of arts that I still feel like I could go to with anything. Legit she drove me and a friend to a Moncton hospital when we had a mental health emergency. I give that woman my eternal devotion.

I wish I could be of more help re: student life. But it’s just been too long since I’ve been there and the culture really does change with the students that are there, and the ones you surround yourself with.

But there are plenty of ways to get involved and explore your identity & whatnot. There were multiple avenues I could participate musically & dramatically at the school. I was in like two different choirs, band, Pep band, every musical with garnet&gold and one with the drama dept.

Overall. I really liked mta. I met my current best friends there. People I will love and cherish for the rest of my life. I had some bouts of depression/struggle that I ignored and fought through. But it was definitely not the worst I’ve experienced in my life and the support was available if I needed it, which is probably why I just suffered on my own. Better support system without professional intervention. (This being said mta is getting some Deserved Shit & claims rn because their uni provided resources have not been doing the right things.)

Yo anon. I’m very sorry I just found this from wHENEVER it was sent. Also. Good luck finding this reply.

But I would say yes, mta is very open and accepting. It may be a small town but it’s population is primarily students during the school year, and the professors I worked with were always so progressive and amazing. I knew so many queer people (and felt so comfortable being myself and exploring what that meant about my identity). My singing professor is also the most intense butch lesbian in the world and she would do anything for her students and has definitely done work to spread that influence far and wide (though in my experiences it was already doing decently).