Sharon Angnakak

Year of Graduation: 2018

Title of MRE: Sedna’s Daughters: Examining Inuit Women’s Conversion Through Intersecting Social Theories

What attracted you to Carleton University’s MA in Religion and Public Life program? 

Carleton’s Religion Program is a fast-paced, intense one-year program that provided me the necessary research environment required to develop my theoretical and methodological approaches to my own personal study of religion. Although intensive, the ability to gain a master’s degree in one year was not only of economic benefit for me but challenged me to complete an intensive amount of research in such a short period of time that enabled me to really focus on my chosen area of research. This approach was immensely beneficial because I was able to enter into a Ph.D. program with a narrowed down research topic and plan of study.

What were some of your highlights of attending Carleton University?

The Religion program at Carleton University is comprised of a tight-knit group of professors and students. I chose Carleton for a graduate program because of my undergraduate experience at Carleton in which I found that the professors were down to earth, challenging, and approachable. It is imperative in research, at least in my experience, that professors are not only approachable but challenging and engaged in your research. The professor’s at Carleton are enthusiastic about your research and really challenge students to ensure that they produce the best research they can. The graduate student office is an excellent place to discuss matters of religion with your graduate peers, bounce ideas and express challenges and concerns with like-minded people and I am forever thankful for the friendships that I was able to make during my MA year.

What are you up to now and what aspects of the MA experience have gone with you? 

The MA experience at Carleton University is fast-paced and intense. It provides real-life experience transferable to the workforce due to the multi-faceted demands required to complete the MA. Students have to learn to adjust to this fast-paced environment through juggling Teaching Assistant positions and coursework on top of their own major research projects. The hands-on experience of research planning and the strategical considerations required in order to successfully complete a research project has been an extremely beneficial experience that I am now able to apply not only to my Ph.D. program but also to my position as an Archivist working for the Government of Nunavut.