The Mount Allison class of 2020 economics graduates are about to embark on the next step on their road to promising careers. They have chosen a diverse array of career paths from law school, to data science and public policy and will be attending schools in Canada and internationally. The group of nine have also been rewarded with an astonishing $241,860 in scholarships to do so.

“It is quite ironic that in this year of distancing the first word that comes to mind when I think of this group is togetherness. This group was constantly working together, encouraging and supporting each other, and mentoring our first, second and third-year students. Our department is deeply proud of each of them individually and as a class,” says Dr. Craig Brett, head of the Department of Economics.

Two students will attend law school this fall. Thomas Jovanovic-Pelletier will study at the University of Toronto, and Amira Abouleish at the University of Maine School of Law. Abouleish received a full scholarship of $34,667 US annually for three years.

“Although law seems unrelated to my majors, Economics and Mathematics, the two departments at Mount Allison have definitely prepared me for any academic challenge, and the law schools I applied to saw that,” says Abouleish.

Peter Gale is doing a Master’s in Social Data Science at the University of Oxford in the UK. Gale received the Mackenzie King Travelling Scholarship for post-graduate studies. This national prize is valued at $11,500.

“My instructors at Mount A were exceptional. They created a structured and rigorous curriculum while also being flexible enough to allow my imagination to run wild,” says Gale.

Rebekah Howlett, who graduated with a Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) degree, will be attending Queen’s University to complete a MA in Economics. She received a Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council grant of $34,000 for her studies. Howlett will analyze the effects of changes to the new Canada Child Benefit. She hopes to work in policy when she graduates.

“The professors at Mount A really care about our learning and about us as individuals. I received so much from them beyond what I learned in class, ranging from advice about graduate school, course selection, and help with internship and grant applications,” says Howlett.

Isaac Doucette, another PPE Honours graduate, will be completing an MA in Public and International Affairs, with a specialization in Environmental Sustainability at the University of Ottawa in September. Doucette received a $21,000 combined scholarship and a research assistantship.

Philip Carolin and Liam MacInnis are doing a Master of Financial Economics (MFE) at the University of Toronto. The MFE prepares graduates for the investment banking industry.

“Mount A has given me a solid theoretical foundation that I can rely upon during the MFE program. In addition, I am given a vast-alumni network I can reach out to for advice when choosing my next steps,” says Carolin who received a Smedvig Scholarship valued at $10,000 and a $6,000 University of Toronto entrance scholarship.

Daniel Gold will attend the University of Chicago’s Master’s program in Computational and Applied Mathematics.

Finally, Nigel Verret will be attending Queen's University to do a masters degree in Economics. Verret received $20,000 in funding, including a Queen's Graduate Award Scholarship and a Teaching Assistantship

“The flexibility of a Mount Allison degree allowed me to explore and discover what I was truly interested in studying. The community of students and faculty within the department ensured my success. I would not be on this trajectory had it not been for the peers and mentors I met in Sackville,” says Verret.

Photo caption (file from Winter 2020): Left to right front: Peter Gale, Rebecca Howlett, and Isaac Doucette. Middle: Thomas Jovanovic-Pelletier and Amira Abouleish Back row: Liam MacInnis, Nigel Verret, Dr. Craig Brett, and Philip Carolin . Missing from the photo is Daniel Gold.