Ryan M.
My name is Ryan and this will be my third year as a mentor with the SSSC. I am from the Maritimes, Saint John, NB, and am in my fourth year of Biology Honours with a Concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Animal Behaviour at Carleton.
One of the main reasons why I chose Carleton was the fact that there are more opportunities in the nation’s capital than there are in the Maritimes. I have some experience in field work, as I had the opportunity to go on Dr. Nigel Waltho’s Coral Reef Community Ecology Field Course in the Bahamas over Christmas break 2015. Here, I enhanced my SCUBA skills and tropical fish identification skills. This summer, I plan to get more experience in the field with my honours thesis. After graduation, I plan on taking a one year program in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) at Algonquin College or a Masters program. There are many different pathways that I can explore with science.
In May 2016, I will be supervised by Dr. Steve Cooke at Queens University Biological Station, looking at the effects of boat noise on largemouth bass behaviour. From June to the end of August, I will return home and work at Bell Aliant as a Seasonal Consumer Service Technician climbing telephone poles and running outside wires.
During the school year, I have a couple part time jobs, which is just enough to get me through the year financially. I am a TA for STAT 2507 and I referee basketball with OVBABO (Ottawa Valley Board of Approved Basketball Officials) throughout the city. In terms of volunteer work, I have helped out at the Terry Fox Run on campus, Let’s Talk Science, and as a volunteer notetaker with the Paul Menton Centre, to name a few.
I am an athletic person, always have been interested in many sports. My major sports are basketball, soccer, ultimate frisbee and tennis, and I played some of these in the Carleton Intramural League. Additionally, I have played on the Carleton Quidditch Team (Chaser) for 3 years. Besides sports, I am the President of Carleton University Global Medical/Dental Brigades. I definitely find that I am at my best when I am busy.