Courtney Zbitnev

CourtneyGraduated 2021

Honour's Specialization in Creative Writing and English Language and Literature and the School for Advanced Studies in the Arts and Humanities

Hometown: Vancouver, BC

After SASAH: MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Victoria.

"SASAH connected me with people who have inspired me to keep doing what I love and, ultimately, confirmed that the Arts and Humanities is exactly where I belong."

What are your thoughts about life as a SASAH student? What makes it unique?

SASAH is unique because it prompts you to be fully engaged in your education-you can ask as many "Why" questions as you want. SASAH teaches you to truly think about what and why you're learning, while providing opportunities to become involved with communities locally and globally. Years after graduating from Western, I look back on my time in SASAH fondly and I'm grateful to the program from giving me opportunities for community involvement and reflection like this. SASAH connected me with people who have inspired me to keep doing what I love and, ultimately, confirmed that the Arts and Humanities is exactly where I belong.

As an experienced graduate, do you have any advice for current SASAH students?

Make use of all the opportunities available to you-the courses, extracurriculars, and community involvement. While at Western, I had positions such as Student Writer-in-Residence, Editor-in-Chief of AHSC Publications, Arts & Humanities Orientation Leader, and Outreach Coordinator for Active Minds Western.

Make genuine connections with everyone around you: not just your classmates, but the professors, faculty, and community members. Most importantly, don't forget to take care of yourself along the way. We are all human; we all need help sometimes and SASAH cares about you not just as a student, but as a person.