Jessica Hayes
Social Planning and Community Development
Leonora Angeles
Jasper
Canada
Why did you decide to pursue a graduate degree?
Pursuing a graduate degree in Community and Regional Planning was a natural fit with my desire to work alongside people and communities. Since my early days at UBC as a first-year undergraduate student, I have always been interested in topics of education, public participation, equity, and social justice. At that time I did not know that the School of Community and Regional Planning was a part of our university, but ever since learning of its existence, I have known it would be a perfect fit. Through my focus areas in Social Planning, Community Development, Indigenous Community Planning, and Affordable Housing, the program has allowed me the opportunity to develop the skills and experience I will need to work alongside diverse communities.
Why did you decide to study at UBC?
I first came to UBC as an undergraduate student and have yet to leave. Growing up in the mountains of Jasper, AB, the Lower Mainland has offered me much of the familiarity of home, with the added bonus of an ocean playground. In terms of my graduate studies, UBC is an innovative hub for urban planning projects: the campus itself acts as a small city, creating a conducive space for upcoming planners. Furthermore, UBC's location on the traditional, ancestral, unceded territory of the Musqueam people adds much depth and responsibility to the planning discussions and projects that are initiated in such a space. This is a commitment that I intend to continue to uphold and carry on into my career.
What is it specifically, that your program offers, that attracted you?
I have always been enthusiastic about the ongoing exchanges that occur between academia and the wider community as a result of SCARP's faculty and student projects and commitments. My academic work at SCARP is deeply informed by outside communities and often expands beyond the University. SCARP has offered me the opportunity to pursue graduate education in a place that I feel personally connected to, and the values and ideology of the school, particularly with regards to the democratization of planning, align closely with my own.
UBC is an innovative hub for urban planning projects: the campus itself acts as a small city, creating a conducive space for upcoming planners.
What advice do you have for new graduate students?
My advice to new graduate students is to use this time to build meaningful relationships, whether it be with your classmates, your mentors, or with outside communities beyond academia. The skills you learn through coursework will be important in your future career, but the connections you make will be invaluable once you leave here. Also, listen - to yourself, to others, and even to what isn't being said. Really work on honing this skill, as it requires practice, and, especially for community planners, will be an essential part of engaging with the public in collaborative community-based projects.
