Maria Munera - BOLD Stories
Lots of unexpected twists and turns brought Maria Munera, Class ’23, to the successful completion of her Brescia at Western University degree. Even her arrival at Brescia was unexpected, as she had originally applied to another campus. Yet, when she and her father arrived atop our beautiful Brescia hill, Maria immediately knew this was the place for her best next steps.
“As soon as I toured the campus and met the people here, I felt so seen,” Maria shares. “I was also drawn in by the best of both worlds approach to education. I knew I would earn my prestigious Western degree, but would do so at a smaller, more comfortable – and comforting – campus. Plus, it’s gorgeous. Who wouldn’t want to study here?”
Maria spent her first year studying Health Sciences and soon realized it was not the right degree path for her. After a gap year, she came back as an undeclared major. During that time, she took an English course and immediately fell in love. In keeping with Brescia’s flexible and personalized approach to academic advising, Maria was granted special permission to make up for lost time by taking senior-level courses in her first and second years.
“Even though the work was so challenging, I never felt scared. I had several of the same professors throughout all four years, so they really got to know me and genuinely invested in my ability to succeed.”
Brescia’s tight-knit campus also placed Maria in close proximity to several exciting experiential learning opportunities, including the Francolini Leadership Experience. This paid three-month opportunity led Maria to work closely with the Distinguished Chair of the Centre for Women’s Leadership on research and community-engagement projects. Almost simultaneously, Maria became part of Brescia’s Students’ Council and organized the “Bad Poetry Contest” with students and faculty across the English Department.
“Brescia is a place that makes it seamless for you to take on more responsibility,
as you progress through your education,” Maria says. “Unlike at other over-crowded
campuses, these portfolio- and life-enriching experiences aren’t completely unattainable.
Plus, you don’t feel nearly as intimated to try because there are familiar faces and
helping hands absolutely everywhere here.”
From the ease with which she made friends through to the unyielding support of her Sophs, professors and peers on Students’ Council, Maria was able to truly find her footing at Brescia and within her academic career. After successfully applying to law schools across North America, she has decided to remain studying in London at Western Law. After that, Maria’s goal is to take out into the world the social justice values that defined much of her Brescia journey and pursue a career in immigrant and refugee law.
Before we wish Maria congratulations on all her incredible achievements and wish her well on her next steps, we will leave you with a few sentiments she shared as the 2023 Class Speaker at Brescia’s most recent convocation:
“At Brescia, we have been equipped with the knowledge, the passion and the determination
to make change one [issue] at a time. In every class, every interaction and every
challenge, we are encouraged to think big and to lead with wisdom, justice and compassion.
These values have been ingrained in us by the Ursuline Sisters who have lived their
commitments to changing the world since 1919. They have not only inspired us to recognize
we can achieve our big dreams, but they have also challenged us to realize it is our
responsibility to create lasting change along the way."
We are so thankful for Maria’s aspirational message and for the time and care she put into preparing her graduation remarks. We will be thinking of all our new alumnae over the coming months, as they take each new and beautiful step out into the great wide world.
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