Ria had not originally intended on becoming an
anthropologist, but after taking several anthropology electives while pursuing
her undergraduate degree, Ria fell in love with anthropological fieldwork,
ethnographic analyses, people and cultures, and the focus on real world
problems. I met Ria in graduate
school. She had come to Canada from the
Philippines in order to broaden her educational pursuits and assist in
understanding issues concerning Filipino live-in caregivers
living abroad in Canada and their families that remained in the
Philippines. Ria had every intention at
that time to pursue a PhD upon completion of her MA and returning to the
Philippines to teach, but fate had a different plan for Ria.
Upon graduating with her MA degree from the University of
Western Ontario, Ria had several employment opportunities available to
her. Many of these opportunities allowed
her to work in the non-profit sector, and currently she works for connecting South West Ontario Project as
a Change Management and Adoption Coordinator.
This eHealth initiative is funded by eHealth Ontario and is charged with
deploying innovative solutions that would potentially change the current health
care system in the region. Ria finds
this work incredibly “fulfilling and rewarding” and enjoys the potential to
positively affect her community and everyday citizens who utilize the health
care system provided in Canada. Her
anthropological background has been instrumental as she can “organize
information and draw insights from (her work)” that contributes to the
achievement of the project’s primary goals.
For others who are considering majoring in anthropology, Ria suggests
thinking ahead in regards to how you want to utilize your anthropology degree. Anthropology degrees can provide you not only
a multitude of opportunities but the ability to pursue any and all of
them. She also says, “An
anthropology degree can take you to many, many places. It’s just a matter of
really understanding where opportunities lie and what they can do right now
that will help them get to that outcome.”
As Ria’s own story demonstrates, an anthropology degree can take you
down some of the most interesting and fulfilling career paths.
I think Ria has a bright future ahead of her if she want to be an anthropologist and has gone to doing a lot of employment things and connecting with there projects. I like how she has anthropological background, that way you have information and you know what you are capable of doing.
ReplyDeleteBriana Banuelos
Anthro 102 1001
Any individual who studies abroad and gets a degree has my immediate and upmost respect. Again, my fascination for how far anthropology can take you in a career is very high.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Ria!
Zachary Forrester
anthro 101 3001 summer
Ria is to be commended for choosing her path in life and the effort she has put into going for the gold. Anthropology is not for everyone.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to how plans change as time progresses awesome she found a good career path.
ReplyDeleteJordan R
I am wondering if there are only good job opportunities with anthropology if you have an advanced degree. I am too old to get a doctorate if I want to work before retirement!
ReplyDeleteIt depends on what you define as a good job. There are opportunities for this with just a bachelor's degree (e.g. excavator, surveyor, public outreach, etc.) It all depends on how you frame your degree and goals. :)
DeleteIt depends on what you define as a good job. There are opportunities for this with just a bachelor's degree (e.g. excavator, surveyor, public outreach, etc.) It all depends on how you frame your degree and goals. :)
DeleteA of now I am undecided on what my major should be, but after reading this blog post I think majoring in anthropology wouldn't be a bad idea. Plus I need a major that can help me go into other fields if I need to.
ReplyDelete-Monique McAllister
Anthropology is an easy topic to fall in love with. It started off boring to me but, it actually catches my interest now. I like learning about different cultures and comparing it to my own. It gives you a different perspective on the world.
ReplyDelete-apreshana page