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Maya Bellamy (she/her), originally from Hanover, Ontario, graduated with a BA with Honours in International Development Studies with a Minor in Indigenous Studies. She shares some of her fond memories from her Dal experience, advice for new students, and details of what's next for her.

What's next for you?

I'm going back home for the summer to work before I head off to Europe. I was accepted into the Erasmus Mundus European Joint Master's in Global Studies program, where I'll be spending my first year at the University of Vienna. I'm really excited for the opportunity to study abroad, travel, and meet people from all over the world.

Please share a favorite experience or fond memory from your time as a student in Dal's Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

A lot of my favourite memories from my time at »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ come from my involvement with the »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥ Arts and Social Sciences Society. Through the society, I was able to make lifelong friendships, help get other students involved, and get to know the faculty and administrators as people beyond just seeing them in the classroom or their offices. I hope I've made a positive difference in the experience that other students will have at »ÆÉ«Ö±²¥.

I'm walking away with so much leadership experience, stronger communication skills, and a much better understanding of how to plan events and bring people together. More than anything, though, I'm grateful for the friendships and memories that came from being involved.

If you could give one piece of advice to an incoming first-year student, what would it be?

The biggest piece of advice I'd give to incoming students is to say yes to everything. Say yes to the event, the Hockey game, the volunteer opportunity, or the invitation to go to bingo at Salt and Ash. There are endless possibilities of things to say yes to. I would also recommend prioritizing your schoolwork and setting aside time to get your work done so that when opportunities come your way, you're able to take them.

You want to finish your four years feeling like you got the most out of your time in Halifax and the friendships you made along the way. There are so many opportunities to meet people, get involved, and experience the city, and I think the best thing you can do is take advantage of as many as possible.

Maya was the recipient of the 2026 Faculty Leadership Impact Award (Arts and Social Sciences).