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Are you
currently employed? If yes, what is your occupation?
Yes
Psychology Research Assistant at the University of Western Ontario
Have you completed secondary
school? If yes, where?
Yes
E.L. Crossley Secondary School, Fonthill, Ontario
Have you completed university/college?
If yes, where?
Yes
The University of Western Ontario
Languages spoken fluently
(please include your native language if English is not your native
language)
English
List any special training
you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc).
Art Classes: 10 years
Alto Saxophone: 3 years
Drama Classes: 2 years
In what sports, if any,
have you participated and how long have you participated in each
sport?
Swimming: 10 years
Rowing: 5 years
Figure Skating: 3 years
Gymnastics: 2 years
Softball: 1 Year
Please list any schools and universities (public/private/graduate/trade
or technical) you have or are attending, as well as the area of
study, graduation date and any degree or certification you received.
The University of Western Ontario
Honours Specialization in Psychology
June 2008
Bachelor of Arts
What charity/charities
have you supported with your time and/or resources over past two
years?
Rotholme Women's and Family Shelter
The Terry Fox Foundation
Canadian Asian International Student's Association charity fashion
show for the Children's Health Foundation
What would be your "dream
job" in life?
My dream job in life is to be an environmental lawyer. A large
component of being a lawyer is researching. Last year I had the
opportunity to read legal literature as a part of my introductory
law course. My thorough enjoyment for the content as well as my
passion for research has led me to pursue a career in law. Most
people have a misguided perception that all lawyers can be found
in the courtroom. However, I know that there are many other paths
one can take with a law degree. I hope to be able to use my skills
to pursue a career in legal and environmental research. It is
a career path I know I will enjoy and excel in.
Name one person, other
than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life?
Why?
The one person, other than my parents, who has had the most influence
on my life, would be my high school rowing coach, John Ruscitti.
When I entered high school I would not have considered myself
very athletic. However, Mr. Ruscitti encouraged me to try out
for the rowing team. In my first year of rowing, I believe I may
have come last in every race that I was in. Needless to say, I
was quite discouraged. Yet, Mr. Ruscitti never gave up on me.
He kept pushing me harder and harder, he was determined to mould
me into a great athlete. After training for six hours a day, seven
days a week, in my last year of high school I came second in the
senior women's double at the Canadian Secondary School Championships.
Mr. Ruscitti taught me to believe in myself and to understand
that with hard work and perseverance, I can accomplish anything.
What is the proudest personal accomplishment (other than being
in this or any other beauty pageant competition)
My proudest personal accomplishment was graduating university
and making the most of my time at Western. I can remember walking
across the stage at graduation and an idea crossing my mind: 'There
is nothing I cannot do in this world.' Over the past four years
at university, I feel that I have grown immensely as a person.
I believe that maturity is the final factor that determines one's
success as a student. Now I can confess that my undergraduate
experience has increased confidence in my capabilities. My volunteer
work has taught me patience and compassion. My school work has
pushed me to excel in time management and organization. My involvement
in diverse extra-curricular activities has taught me that working
in teams is an integral component to life. From these experiences,
I have matured into an individual well-prepared to become Miss
Universe Canada, both mentally and socially. In reflecting upon
my current stage of life, I cannot help but draw parallel to my
university days. I know that there are many life lessons, experiences,
and challenges that await me. Just as I did with university, I
will work hard and try to climb to the top. I have never been
one to give up on my goals, nor have I ever been one to settle
for less than what I believe I am capable of. As I embark on the
opportunity to experience all the challenges that Miss Universe
Canada has to offer, I know that my capabilities all stem from
the experiences and accomplishment of graduating from university.
What is your career ambition
and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?
We are currently living in a society that guarantees the destruction
of Earth as each day passes. Deforestation, fossil fuels, carbon
dioxide emissions… these are just a few of the environmental
hazards that will lead us to a problematic future. I do not believe
that I will be able to save the world. I know that it is unrealistic
to assume that I will be able to correct every wrong that society
is doing to our environment; however, I will make a difference.
I can do my part to get the government, businesses, and society
to preserve our environment and develop plans for a more environmentally
friendly society. We may not be able to change everything, but
we can do our part to develop plans and programs that will lead
us in the right direction. The main focus of these plans and programs
should be to encourage people to make a difference where they
can. Something as simple as turning off a light when not in the
room is something that will make a difference if everyone can
commit to it.
As I stated earlier, my ultimate goal is to become an environmental
lawyer. My first step is to enter into postgraduate programs in
environmental sustainability and/or business marketing. These
postgraduate programs would give me knowledge on how to convey
my message, how to gain interest in the environment, and how to
make connections with companies and organizations. After completing
this program, the next step is to enter law school. These postgraduate
programs will allow me to have a firm understanding and background
with environmental issues that will aid me in law school.
Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was
like.
I was raised in three places: Oakville, Ontario; Kincardine, Ontario;
and Niagara Falls, Ontario. To start off, I should probably inform
you that I am Serbian - yes, my parents are from the old country!
When I was born I lived in Oakville with my mother, father, brother,
grandfather (maternal), great-grandmother (maternal), grandmother
(paternal), and uncle (paternal). To some this may seem intense,
but to any European, it is natural! Our house was always filled
with three things: food, loud voices, and God. I loved my time
in Oakville because I appreciated the time I had with my family!
Oakville is also the community that I developed a passion for
the environment. When I was young my father use to take us on
daily walks along Joshua Creek, it was here that I developed an
appreciation for the beauty of nature.
I moved to Kincardine for a few years when I was in elementary
school. Kincardine is a very small community on Lake Huron. I
continued my love for the environment here by going on family
walks along the shore of Lake Huron. Kincardine was great because
A) I had a pool and B) I met some of my closest friends to this
day there. The one great thing about living in a small community
is the bonds you form with people that last forever.
When I was in high school my parents moved to Niagara Falls. This
was one of the best experiences of my life because this is where
I was introduced to the sport of rowing! I trained for rowing
all year long, everyday. To some people this may sound like a
lot, but the rowing community has such close friendships and positive
goals that everyone is working towards. I believe that rowing
(or any other sport or activity) helps youth to stay on the right
track and avoid trouble. To make a long story short, I had an
amazing childhood. I had so many people in my life that loved
me, supported me, and taught me how to be a good person. Few people
in this world can probably say that, so I am very thankful for
it.
List any interesting or
unusual jobs you may have had.
Research Assistant at University of Western Ontario, Department
of Psychology in 2008
-finding research participants
-surveying participants
-compiling data
Volunteer Research Assistant at University of Toronto, Department
of Psychology in 2007
-running a behavioural study that focused on attention and memory
in nonhuman animals
-taking care of the animals
-recording data
-running the experiments
Admissions - Hostess at Marineland Canada in 2004
-greeting tens of thousands of customers per day
-giving directions and information regarding the theme park and
city
-administering tickets
List any volunteering you have done.
Assisted at Local Regattas
-assisting when needed at local regattas
-ensuring that the regattas ran smoothly
Residence Floor Exercise Group at UWO - London
-organized a fitness group on my residence floor for those interested
in pursuing a healthy lifestyle
-led the fitness group
Calculus Study Group
-organized a calculus study group
-recruited classmates
-tutored classmates
Canadian Asian International Student's Association charity fashion
show for the Children's Health Foundation
-advertised and promoted the charity fashion show
-recruited potential models
Volunteer Tutoring
-tutoring upper-year students in statistics, writing, and various
psychology courses
-organized a tutoring service
-recruited students that need assistance
University of Western Ontario's Fall Preview Day
-helped ensure that fall preview day ran smoothly
-guided prospective students and their families
-answered questions that prospective students and their families
had
Research Assistant for a Psychology Study
-running a behavioural study that focused on attention and memory
in nonhuman animals
-taking care of the animals
-recording data
-running the experiments
Where is the most interesting
place you have been?
The most interesting place I have been is Tulum, a site that is
a part of the Mayan ruins not too far from Cancun, Mexico. Tulum
was a fenced community that served as a fortress to protect against
invasion. Much of the architecture at Tulum suggests that the
site was also a place of worship for the Mayans. The reason Tulum
is the most interesting place I have been is because it combines
the beauty of nature with the magnificence of history. Seeing
all the ancient structures and hearing all the information that
the tour guide provided was an enlightening experience. As well,
the beauty of the Yucatan peninsula is breathtaking. Tulum is
located on a cliff beside the ocean. I have never in my life seen
such beauty both visually and historically.
What makes you unique and different from the other contestants?
Every woman in this competition is beautiful, and I do firmly
believe that. I think what sets me apart from the other women
is my personality. I am a very intelligent and well-spoken individual,
but at the same time my charm and kind heart prevents people from
seeing me as boastful and arrogant. I am the kind of girl that
someone of any intellect, social status, or background can have
a great conversation with and become my new friend. I thank my
degree in psychology for this because it has shown me to be aware
of myself and others, and to make positive connections. I would
like to think that I would be the kind of Miss Universe Canada
that children can look up to, my peers would be impressed with,
and my elders would respect. I think I would be a great spokeswoman
for Canada and the Beauties of Canada organization as well as
a positive image for today's modern woman.
What is your philosophy
of/in life?
My philosophy in life is this: Aim for the stars, but settle for
the moon. I cannot begin to express how much this phrase has influenced
my life. Anytime I am faced with any kind of goal, challenge,
or feat, I dream big. I imagine myself succeeding in the highest
possible way. In other words, I set the bar very high for myself.
Whether it is academically, athletically, or socially, I want
to be the best there is and be above the rest. I always aim for
the stars. Yet, as the second part of my philosophy says, I am
also never afraid to settle for the moon. Of course we all want
to be the best. When it comes to academics, I aim high and achieve
it. However, in the example of my rowing career, I dreamed of
winning the gold but I was not in the least disappointed to receive
silver. The idea behind this philosophy is to push yourself to
the maximum because it is only when you dream big that you will
win big. But at the same time it is important to remember that
a discrepancy between one's ultimate goal and their actual achievement
should be looked upon with pride. This philosophy has helped me
to go as far as I possibly can in life and be content and satisfied
with my accomplishments.
What do you hope to be
doing in 10 years?
In ten years I hope to be working with the government and/or companies
to develop environmental sustainability plans that prevent or
lessen various environmental problems. My main focus would be
to persuade the use of renewable resources, recycling, and the
development of action plans that reduce the amount of toxins entering
our environment. I would like to work on developing new and improving
existing rules and regulations to help our environment.
Aside from my career, in ten years I hope to be the owner of a
beautiful house, surrounded by all my friends and family! I would
also love to own a rowing boat so I can take it out on the water
on weekends.
Is there anything you would like to tell us about yourself?
Something unique that has happened to you? Some interesting thing
about you?
When I was younger, my family and I use to spend our summer vacations
on Lido Beach in Sarasota, Florida. One day I was swimming in
the ocean with my father and older brother while my mother tanned
on the beach. Suddenly a group of about twenty manatees (also
known as sea cows) started swimming up and down the beach, not
too far from the shore. Knowing that manatees are gentle creatures,
my father told my brother and I to go swim with them. So my brother,
me, and a few other kids in the water grabbed on to the manatees
and let them pull us up and down the shore. I can remember grabbing
on and hugging my manatee as he moved quickly through the water.
It is a memory that I will keep for a lifetime.
Another interesting fact about me is that I am extremely gifted
in arithmetic. From a young age I always excelled in math. In
grade 10 I received 100% in my math course, in grade 11 I was
accelerated to an OAC calculus class, in university I received
one of the highest marks in statistics, and I am continuously
volunteering to tutor university students in calculus and statistics.
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