Welcome to Indigenous Futures in Engineering, Queen's University
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Jay Swanson
Nation:
Muskoday Cree Nation
School attending:
Program of study:
Physics
Graduation:
2017
When I first heard about engineering:
The first time I heard about engineering I was in grade three learning about rocket ships and space. I couldn't (and still can't) think of anything cooler than going to outer space or building the vehicles that travel there and so engineering was automatically put on the list of cool things to do.
Why I chose my school and program:
I came to Queen’s all the way from B.C., where I grew up, because I wanted an adventure. Queen's seemed like good place because I had heard that their engineering program was really well run and a whole lot of fun. After that, I decided to take engineering physics because I wanted to learn how science and math really work and (more importantly) in the program description it mentioned that I could go on to build rockets.
What I like most about engineering:
My favourite thing about engineering is learning how to solve problems. If this sounds a bit abstract, a good way to think about it is that it makes me feel like an inventor or mad scientist from one of my favorite books.
Where you will find me outside of classes:
Outside of classes you'll find me playing with my cat, singing around the house, having fun with friends or curled up in a corner day dreaming about becoming an astronaut or a superhero.
My inspiration:
My inspiration is Astronaut Chris Hadfield. When he was in University he also completed an engineering degree. I think the coolest thing about him is how many other interests he has like music, story telling, aviation, and photography. To me he's an example of someone who learned how to take advantage of all that life offers and thats exactly who I want to be and I think engineering is a fantastic way to do that!
2022 Update
Jay graduated from Queen's in 2017, and went on to pursue a Master's of Science degree in Physics at the Royal Military College of Canada. They finished at RMC in 2020.