Author Archives: Mehkai Manzano

Hi Friends :)

Hi all!

I go by Ellie and I am currently a second year UBC student pursuing a career in sociological research and professorship. This career choice has only been a recent development in my life as I was initially at UBC to acquire a degree in English Language and Literature, and proceed into the Education program where I would become a high school teacher. It was not until I took my Sociology 217 course which focused on Research Methods where I realized that not only do I love sociology from a theoretical perspective, but I could visualize myself conducting research to create my own theories on my topics of interest, such as queerness and the socialization process of youth.

While I like to believe I am a fluid and flexible person who is able to adapt to situations as they happen, I find comfort in following a pipeline. A big fear of mine this school year throughout the process of switching majors was the recognition that I have to deviate from my past plans and be confident with my new decisions. This anxiety stemming from unsureness goes hand in hand with my overall goals to overcome the unknown and pursue new things this year.

For the first time in two years since my high school Drama Club, I am performing again! I made one of the UBC Improv teams and perform at our shows every other Friday. While I did perform in high school, I found my range of characters were just caricatures of myself, and improv has really forced me to practice different roles. Improv is an activity that I would truly recommend to anyone as it is such a portable skill that can be applied to so many aspects of life. Situations such as engaging in small talk more comfortably, adapting on the fly to new scenarios, and being more open to try new things, all become easier once you practice improv. If you have the opportunity, I highly suggest checking it out as UBC Improv does host free drop in workshops every once in awhile, and if you are interested, do not hesitate to ask me about it 🙂

In terms of this course, in all honesty, I am not a consistent reader. I believe my biggest gripe with reading is my personal lack of speed, ironic since I have to read so much for my program. While I have heard that the more you read, the quicker you get at it, I always find myself so attached to the words and concepts that I take too long on each sentence. I hope that because I have to go through books so quickly in this course, I can train my eyes and mind more consistently to read quicker.

If you read all of this, that is so awesome and I hope you enjoyed getting to know me. Please tell me your favourite superhero in the comments and why it is Batman.