Justyna Ciszewska-Carr - Education

Justyna Ciszewska-Carr

Justyna Ciszewska-Carr was born and raised in a small town in the north of Poland. She first came to Canada almost four years ago, and lived and worked in Toronto for the first two years. Her primary goals for coming to Canada were to improve her English and to gain firsthand experience of an English-speaking culture. Justyna's Canadian adventure was supposed to be only a temporary project. A year ago, however, she got married to an American living in Newfoundland, and now is two steps away from receiving her Canadian Permanent Resident status.

"I earned my undergraduate degree (BA) in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from the Nicolas Copernicus University in Torun, Poland. I am currently a M.Ed. candidate enrolled in the Teaching and Learning program, with a specialization in Second Language Instruction. My areas of interest include ESL/EFL methodology, bilingualism, biliteracy, language and identity, culture and identity, mother tongue maintenance.

"I came to Canada with the intention of returning to Poland. In my home country, with the current unemployment rate, finding employment without a Master's is practically impossible. For me it was not a question of whether, but of when and where I was going to pursue graduate studies. Since I planned to continue studies in the area of Second and Foreign Language education after completing my undergraduate degree, I felt the need to immerse myself in an English-speaking environment to raise my linguistic and cultural competence in the language I was going to teach. After one year in Canada, I began to consider continuing studies here rather than in Poland.

"While living in Ontario, I met a number of Memorial graduates who highly recommended the university to me. As an international student applying for graduate school, I was not eligible for any kind of financial support at any Canadian university, and I was not allowed to work in the country while studying, because of Canada Immigration regulations. Memorial University has the most affordable tuition fees for international students in all of Canada. Moreover, much to my surprise, the Department of Education offered me graduate support, which helped me cover the tuition fees. What a bonus!

"The Faculty of Education offers a great selection of courses at the graduate level. With a relatively flexible study program, it is possible to benefit from the variety and abundance of electives, which are highly valuable for development as a future educator. The different program completion routes are also very useful. Everyone can choose a route that is most consistent with his or her professional and academic goals (project route, portfolio route, thesis, internship, or comprehensive route). The graduate assistantships at the Faculty of Education allowed me to get involved in interesting events, and develop new skills. The opportunity to be one of the coordinators of the International Literacy Conference Literacy Policies for the Schools We Need at my department was a particularly valuable experience.

"The faculty members in Education have created a stimulating and challenging environment for studying. I have had the chance to work with some very supportive and helpful professors who make the studies a true intellectual pleasure. They have provided a lot of guidance and advice in the last year and a half, which I greatly appreciate. The staff at the Faculty of Education, particularly people at the Graduate Programs, are a source of endless help, support, and advice of any kind. They are real life-savers!

"Studying at Memorial has multiple advantages. On the one hand, the university is small enough for you to remain an individual rather than a just number. On the other hand, the availability of resources is exceptional. The QEII library provides top-quality service, with the Document Delivery service being particularly valuable. The International Student Office at Memorial provides help, support and direction to people from abroad, which makes the accommodation to a new environment much easier.

"Newfoundland is an ideal place to study. The province has captivated me with its beauty during my first visit here. I fell in love with the geography of this place, its culture, music (!!!), and its people. The province is beautiful, and I never get tired of the landscape. St. John's is a unique and an affordable place to live. It has all the characteristics of a small town with amenities of a large city. The city is rich in artistic events of supreme quality, the music scene is fabulous and the MUN Cinema Series provide the opportunity to see alternative films for those not keen on mainstream movies.

"In addition to my university work, I am working as a volunteer at the Association for New Canadians. On the rare occasions when I am not working, you can find me in a pub enjoying live Newfoundland music, at the LSPU Hall or on one of the hiking trails in and around the city. I enjoy swimming, snowshoeing, hiking. I also take every opportunity to travel around the province with my husband.

"After graduating, I am planning to work as an ESL teacher in St. John's. My plan is to work with young children within the schools system. When I gain some professional experience, learn more about the local context, and narrow down my research interest, I would like to pursue my studies at the doctoral level. I will certainly choose Memorial.

Justyna is the recipient of a Graduate Student Fellowship (2002).