J.D.
MY PROUDEST MOMENTS
I WOULD SAY THAT SOME OF MY PROUDEST MOMENTS STARTED AFTER I MOVED AWAY FROM MY HOMETOWN AND ACTUALLY PUSHED MYSELF TO APPLY TO MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY. SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS I HAD ACCOMPLISHED SINCE MOVING ARE:
AWARDED A VIP BRONZE AWARD FROM STUDENT VOLUNTEER BUREAU
THE VIP AWARD CEREMONY 2014 HELD AT MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY. I COMPLETED 20 VOLUNTEER HOURS, WHICH I OBTAINED FROM WALK SAFE, WENT TO A REFLECTION SESSION ON MY EXPERIENCE VOLUNTEERING, AND ATTENDED A PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION WHICH INVOLVED RESUME WRITING. THE PROGRAM ALLOWED ME TO GAIN INTERPERSONAL COMPETENCE, COGNITIVE COMPLEXITY, AND PRACTICAL COMPETENCE. OTHER THINGS LISTED WERE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT. IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
Left: Minister Ho. Christopher Mitchelmore
CAME OUT AS PART OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY
I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. SINCE I EMBRASED MY TRUE IDENTITY, I'VE NEVER BEEN HAPPIER. I'VE BECAME MORE COMFORTABLE IN MYSELF AND MORE CONFIDENT TO FACE THE WORLD AS 'JUSTIN DIXON.' THERE REALLY IS NO GREATER FEELING THAN LEARNING TO LOVE YOURSELF.
FACED A FAILING GRADE, AND LEARNED FROM THAT
MY SECOND YEAR AT MUN, I FAILED A COURSE. I OVERLOADED MYSELF WITH WORK. I WORKED MORE THAN 30 HOURS PER WEEK AT THE TIME AND WAS A FULL-TIME UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT. I GOT A GOOD MARK SECOND TIME I DID THE COURSE BECAUSE I WORKED PART-TIME AS A FULL-TIME STUDENT AND BECAME MORE WISE AT MANAGING MY TIME. NOW I ONLY WORK THE HOURS I NEED AND SPEND THE REST OF MY TIME STUDYING AND TAKING CARE OF SUZY.
CAME FROM A LOW-INCOME FAMILY; NOW GRADUATING WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE
I'M IN MY FINAL SEMESTER AND THAT IS SOMETHING I'M THANKFUL FOR. GOING INTO UNIVERSITY, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS AHEAD OF ME. NOW I'M IN MY FINAL SEMESTER AND NEVER HAD MORE OF A CLEAR VIEW OF LIFE. I NOW KNOW WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO WORK FOR WHAT YOU HAVE, AND I'VE NEVER FELT MORE ACCOMPLISHED.
GAINED A LOT OF CONFIDENCE
I MUST HAVE GAINED A TON OF CONFIDENCE AFTER I LEFT MY SMALL COMMUNITY IN NEWFOUNDLAND TO ATTEND UNIVERSITY. I COULD HAVE TRAVELED TO ALBERTA FOR EMPLOYMENT WITH MY BROTHER; HOWEVER, I WANTED TO DO MY OWN THING AND REACH MY OWN GOALS. I IDENTIFIED MYSELF AS PART OF THE LGTBQ GROUP. I FOUND MYSELF AND WHAT INTERESTS ME. I FAILED AND BOUNCED BACK. I BECAME RESILIENT. MOVING HAS DEFINITELY GIVEN ME THE BOOST I NEEDED.