Meet your Valedictorian: Anastasia Sagel BSc’23, Faculty of Science

Anastasia Sagel first came to Halifax to study at the Language Centre at Saint Mary’s; she liked the university so much that she stayed for her undergraduate degree in psychology. Immersing herself in the cheerleading community on campus, Anastasia became the captain of the team and would love to share her passion for the sport with students when she returns home to Germany. She plans to pursue a graduate degree in psychology with the goal of working with children who have PTSD. Anastasia is proud to be the Faculty of Science valedictorian with her family who are visiting from Germany for the big event. Congratulations!

Preferred name: Anastasia

Program: Bachelor of Science, Honors Psychology

Previous education: St. Kaspar

Hometown: Bad Driburg, Germany

Why did you choose Saint Mary’s University?
I chose Saint Mary’s because of the percentage of international students.

How did you get involved in the SMU Community?

I was on the team for four years as a base and captain for three years.

Did you live and/or work on campus?
For the first two years, I lived on campus.

What was your favourite class?
My favourite class was Psychotherapy II with Dr. Skye Stephens.

What was your thesis title and description? Why did this research appeal to you?
The title was, “Does switching between languages have an impact on emotion regulation?” This study investigated how emotion regulation might change when bilingual individuals switch between languages. We recruited self-identified bilingual people (N=129) via social media and the Sona system. After imagining themselves in two different scenarios, we invited them to respond to a cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. The scenarios were identical, except that one was supposed to take place in their native language and the other in their second language. I chose this topic because I am multilingual myself and I wanted to see how that makes me different from others.

Which instructor had the biggest impact on you?

I had three: Dr. Jim Cameron, who was my thesis supervisor, who really believed in me and made writing my thesis fun; Dr. Skye Stephens, who taught so passionately, which assured me that I had chosen the right profession for me; and Dr. Andrés Arteaga, who was my main prof for my Spanish minor and the only one that I had from first year till my last and who only ever saw the best in me.

Do you have a favourite space on campus?
The Atrium, which is the best place to study, and the gym.
Looking back, what was your favourite SMU memory?
My favourite SMU memories were when I presented my thesis at our psychology conference, and winning competitions with my team.
What will you miss about Saint Mary’s?

I will miss the feeling of sitting in the Atrium meeting friends and studying for class.
What are your goals for the future? How did Saint Mary’s help set you on this path?

I will be moving to Berlin to start my Master’s in clinical psychology at Sigmund Freud University. Saint Mary’s showed me that psychology is the right career choice for me and showed me that your past does not determine your future and that every semester is a new chance to improve yourself.

Did you or do you currently volunteer with any organizations?
I volunteered with our Cheerleading team at various organizations.

Did you receive any awards or recognition from the university or other organizations during your time as a student here?

I was placed on the Dean’s List three times.

Any other successes you’d like to share?

I am very proud that I will be graduating magna cum laude as well as winning every competition in our division with the Cheerleading team.

What advice would you give your younger self who was just starting university?

I would tell my younger self not to worry so much and enjoy the time more, rather than always focusing on what is next. Also that what is meant to be will be.