At 17, Laura Eamon jumped at the chance to attend university halfway across the country from where her family lived. After experiencing personal challenges with alcoholism, she struggled to complete the first year of her studies.
In 2012, she returned to Nova Scotia. After getting sober, completing a diploma at NSCC and working at Nova Scotia Health, she decided to attend university while staying close to her incredible and supportive family.
After hearing about a close friend’s experiences at Saint Mary’s University, she decided to apply, and the rest is history.
During her Bachelor of Commerce journey at the Sobey School of Business, Laura received many awards and recognitions, including the Elaine Leventhal Bursary, the SSHRC Explore Undergraduate Summer Research Award, the Daughters of the Vote Delegate, the Handyside Ethical and Social Responsibility Award, the Canadian Conservation Corps Participant and the Frank H. Sobey Award for Excellence in Business Studies. Laura is also a member of the Sobey Scholars Network, a network that includes all current and past scholarship recipients, alumni, chair holders, named professors and post-doctoral fellows who have been the recipients of philanthropic financial support from the Sobey family, The Sobey Foundation, Sobeys Inc. and Empire Company Limited.
Q&A with Laura Eamon
Where is your hometown?: Hammonds Plains, Nova Scotia.
What’s your major?: I’m graduating with a major in Economics with a Co-op Distinction.
What activities were you involved with at Saint Mary’s?: I was Treasurer with Saint Mary’s University Environmental Society for one year.
What was your favourite class?: I enjoyed all the math classes I took because working through long problems with multiple steps and a correct answer at the end is very satisfying. I found it interesting learning about Atlantic Canada’s recent history, and I loved learning how economics can be used in any industry and in any country to explore why things happen the way they do.
What’s your favourite space on campus?: Probably everyone’s favourite space on campus is the Atrium with the living wall and the library with the incredible floor-to-ceiling windows. That’s where it feels most like the traditional university experience.
Which instructor had the biggest impact on you?: Professor Tiffany Vu was always an incredibly thoughtful, engaging teacher throughout my time at Saint Mary’s. She is kind, strong, and making waves in her field. She believed in me, let me explore my thoughts in class, asked me to come on as a teaching assistant and worked with me to get the SSHRC Explore Undergraduate Summer Research award and Frank H. Sobey Excellence in Business Studies award.
What advice would you give to your younger self?: You’re never too old or too invested to start over, be a beginner, and change your mind. Stay organized, and always ask for help.
Who inspires you?: The main reason I’m walking across the stage to get my degree is my family: my husband, my two stepdaughters, and my mum. I couldn’t have done any of this without their support and sacrifices. I wish my dad was here to see me as the first in our family to graduate from university. I speak publicly about my experiences and alcohol use because of him.
Do you volunteer in the community?: I volunteer with the Sackville Rivers Association as the social media coordinator.
What are your future goals?: I hope for a bright future filled with local adventures and happy experiences with my family. I hope for slow days of joy and quick days of pain. I want to work with a team of open-minded, caring individuals for an organization making a positive impact on the planet and its people. I hope I respect my values of variety, well-being, and sustainability.
