Summer Student Program – Devin MacEachern
This summer, ARTA was able to restore a much-loved tradition that had to be put on hold during the pandemic: The hiring of a summer student. The summer student program allows one lucky post-secondary student to gain some real-world job experience at ARTA, all while earning some money to help fund their next school year.
Devin MacEachern has been working with ARTA since the beginning of June, during which time he has been assisting with various tasks as part of the Member Services team. Before he returns to school in September, we sat down with him to ask about his educational journey so far, and how his time at ARTA has been.
What are you studying in school?
Right now, I’m studying Political Science at MacEwan, and I have one year left in my degree. After that, I plan on getting a degree in Secondary Education at the University of Alberta.
What drew you to Political Science?
Growing up, most people are at least somewhat aware of politics, but a lot of people, including myself, would hear those political reports on the news and not really understand what they meant. I took a couple of intro political science classes in my first year of university, and it felt really empowering to finally get a handle on what those conversations were about. My focus is on international relations. I find it fascinating and important to know what’s going on around the world, and how attitudes and decisions in one country can affect another.
Why are you interested in pursuing education afterwards?
Once you graduate high school, you realize there are those teachers whose lessons and guidance have really stuck with you. I think a career in Education would be very fulfilling in that sense. In my customer service roles, it gives me a lot of joy when I can help someone, when I can teach them how to navigate the problems they’re having. Teaching seems like the perfect way to build a career around that joy.
How has your summer with ARTA been?
My time at ARTA has been really good. Before coming here, I was spending my summers doing a lot of manual work: Landscaping and the like. Moving into this kind of role, where I’m working alongside people and helping to manage information, it’s been great for my work experience, and I’ve been learning a lot of skills that I’ll be able to lean on professionally — more than I learned while cutting grass.
There are a lot of really dedicated people here. Whether it’s a slow day, or a busy one, everyone has a really good attitude and shows a lot of dedication to their role. It’s a very positive place to be.