Catching Up With Alumni | Mercedes Veselka (BA LDS/19; CTESL/19)
We caught up with Mercedes Veselka, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Combined Honours in Linguistics and Discourse Studies and a Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (CTESL) in 2019, and received the Chancellor’s Medal at the fall convocation ceremony.
During her time as an undergraduate student in SLaLS, Mercedes completed two independent study courses, working closely with faculty members in the School to study Russian syntax and to conduct a discourse analysis of language in Christian sermons.
Learn more about what Mercedes has been up to and how her experiences in SLaLS shaped her journey, and find some words of advice for students below.
What Mercedes Has Been Up To
After graduating from Carleton University, Mercedes worked as an English language instructor in the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program at a community house in Ottawa.
“My experiences working with adult literacy and language learners lead me to be curious about how to better support educators working at the intersections of literacy and language in designing curriculum,” she shares.
Mercedes is wrapping up a Master of Education program at York University in Toronto, and recently defended her thesis project, “Creating Community in Adult literacy and language education: The impact of multiliteracies-informed curriculum development.” She published an article based on her thesis in TESL Ontario’s magazine, Contact, titled “Building bridges: Reimagining adult literacy and language education.”
Mercedes has also worked collaboratively on research projects to investigate how educators who teach writing weave generative AI in their practices and to design an arts-informed curriculum for older adult English language and literacy learners.
“This has led me to present at various conferences through the last year related to both my own thesis project and the work I have conducted as a research assistant.”
What’s Next?
Mercedes will be starting a Doctoral Program in Language, Culture and Teaching at York University this fall.
“I will continue unraveling how to better support adult literacy and language educators and learners,” she shares.
Mercedes’ Experience in SLaLS
“One of the most valuable parts of my experience at SLaLS were the supportive professors who mentored and supported my ideas and ambitions,” Mercedes notes.
“Even years after graduating, when I reached out to ask questions about returning to graduate school, professors in the department graciously offered their time, wisdom and ideas. They sat with me on Zoom calls, met with me in person, and helped me decide which programs and schools would be the best fit for the work I wanted to do.”
“I’m also deeply grateful for the CTESL certification which led me to work with my incredible colleagues and students at Confederation Court Community House,” she shares. “Having practical knowledge and experiences to be able to discover my passion for literacy and teaching was a huge gift to my life.”
Words of Advice for SLaLS Students
“Allow your curiosity to guide you,” Mercedes advises. “I loved my program because the professors and students were curious and engaged.”
“Mold the programs and classes you take into something that makes your brain feel alive and that connects to the people and places you care most about.”
“Talk to your professors, go to their office hours even if it is just to chat,” Mercedes says. “Some of the best and most meaningful advice I received throughout my education came from these conversations and the knowledge that I could lean on supportive professors when I felt uncertain or had questions.”
Interested in learning more about our programs?
Visit our Programs and Course Offerings page to learn about the undergraduate and graduate programs that we offer here in the School of Linguistics and Language Studies.
Are you a SLaLS graduate?
We would love to know what you have been up to! Check out our Alumni page to meet our amazing graduates and to learn more about how to stay connected with the SLaLS community.