Starting university is an exciting time in a young person’s life. But for Jenna Effa and all those who embarked on their undergraduate studies in the fall of 2020, a global pandemic put the kybosh on freshman fun.
However, nothing was going to dampen the spirits of the eager young Faculty of Science student.
“Attending McGill has been a big dream of mine for years,” says Effa. “I wanted to study at a university that is strong academically, and when I learned of McGill’s standing as Canada’s top university and one of the best in the world, I had my heart set on studying here.”
For Effa, who grew up in the small Saskatchewan town of Midale, the decision to apply to McGill was a bold one: “I have two older brothers but neither of them have moved away. I guess I’m the risk-taker in the family.”
Learning that she had won a Best in the West award was a thrill. “When I received an email informing me that I had won a scholarship, I couldn’t contain my excitement and danced around my room. I knew how difficult it is to get into McGill and I had worked really hard to stay on the honour roll all through high school,” says Effa.
Her high school achievements also earned Effa an invitation to participate one summer in a two-week quantum physics program at the University of Waterloo. “I was one of 45 students who was selected, and I received a small stipend to cover travel costs and other expenses.”
The Best in the West scholarship has made a huge difference for Effa, who is in the Life Sciences program, majoring in psychology and minoring in neuroscience. “I am so grateful for the support I receive from this scholarship. Without it, I probably would not have been able to attend McGill and would have missed out on so many amazing opportunities. It made my dream of attending McGill come true!”
The award has also made being a student a lot less stressful. “I have a heavy course load and the pressure would have been tenfold if I had to work part-time. It has made it easier for me to focus on my studies and succeed academically.”
Leaving home and moving to a big multicultural city has been an exciting step for Effa: “It was like taking a big leap into the deep end of a wonderful new cultural experience. Meeting and interacting with people from all over the world has been so enriching.”
While lockdown restrictions and online classes kept her safely isolated during the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Effa focused on the positive. “I was living in residence and it was hard not to feel homesick. But in time I came to know a small group of friends from various parts of Canada and overseas. We became super close and made the best of it together.”
As campus life has started to progressively return to normal, she is eager to get involved in some of McGill’s many clubs and activities.
While it is a bit too early for the second-year Life Sciences student to know exactly where her studies will take her, Effa knows that she is headed in the right direction. “This is the path I have always wanted to follow.”
Since its inception in 2008, the Best in the West awards program has given more than 330 students like Jenna Effa from Canada’s four western provinces an opportunity to study at McGill. You can lend your support to this important initiative today through your next gift to McGill, using the giving link below.