Have you met Jamie, Program Coordinator and Speech-Language Pathologist for the Corbett Hall Early Education Program? Spend a few minutes getting to know her a little better.
What is your first U of A memory?
I remember the day before classes began in the first term of my first year. I took a map and my schedule to campus to figure out where everything was. It was overwhelming as my classes were scattered across campus. I remember having two competing thoughts: ‘this place is absolutely beautiful,’ and ‘how are there so many buildings?’. Ironically, I have spent the last 19 years solely in one university building — Corbett Hall.
What is something your coworkers don’t know about you?
Let me think … I enjoy wake surfing? I hate kidney beans? I have a bizarre dependence on yellow stickies to keep organized? Nope. They know all that. I am fortunate to be part of the exceptionally skilled, highly dedicated team working at Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP). We are all passionate about supporting young children and spend many hours together working in the classroom. At this point, there is very little we don’t know about one another.
What is your favourite distraction?
For enjoyment — movie night with my family. When the pandemic began we set out to watch all the Marvel movies chronologically. It has been a great escape for us from the stress and sadness of this challenging time.
For sanity — running. I often wake early and then can’t stop my mind from whirling. Going for a short run helps me clear my head before the day begins.
If you were enrolling in one course, program or degree right now, what would it be?
A conversational French class. I would love to speak French more fluently. It would be fantastic to catch up to my kids who take French Immersion.
What’s a weird pet peeve you have?
How to pick just one? People who stand too close. People who act entitled. Technology that works when you test it and fails when you need it. My biggest pet peeve though is people who are unkind.
You can invite anyone — alive or dead, real or fictional — to dinner. Who would it be?
My maternal grandmother passed away before I was born. I don’t know a lot about her but have heard she was intelligent, funny and kind — I think she would be a fascinating dinner partner. I would love the opportunity to get to know her.
If you could see any live performance tomorrow, what would it be?
After nearly a year of living during a pandemic, seeing almost any live performance would be thrilling. It is hard now to imagine comfortably sitting shoulder to shoulder with hundreds of people. I have new appreciation for concerts, sporting events, theatre productions and school assemblies. We are all so isolated now (necessarily, of course). It will be amazing to feel connected to others again through shared experience.
What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?
Don’t be so afraid to make mistakes — they allow you to grow. Take risks.
What’s one thing you can’t live without?
My family … and chai lattes.
What three words describe your U of A experience?
Diverse, challenging, rewarding.
About Jamie
Jamie completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Alberta in 1994, obtaining a Bachelor of Education. She then pursued graduate study at the U of A, receiving a Master of Speech-Language Pathology in 1996. Jamie worked as a speech-language pathologist in early education in Edmonton and St. Albert between 1996 and 2002. She has found her passion for teaching on a collaborative team compliments her interest in speech and language development in young children. In 2002 Jamie helped found the Corbett Hall Early Education Program (CHEEP) at the University of Alberta. Since then, she has split her time between coordinating the program and working as one of the speech-language pathologists in the classroom.