We’re excited to introduce Eden Endale and Pauline Ringor to all of Michener’s incoming students. These second-year students are organizing this year’s activities and are your guides to Orientation 2021.
Find out what Eden and Pauline are looking forward to most at Orientation, their best advice for new Michener students and what hilarious things have happened to them recently.
Eden Endale
What program are you in?
I’m in my second year of the Radiation Therapy program.
Who is your hero/heroine and why?
It would definitely be my parents. They sacrificed so much to provide my sister and I with the lives that we have, and yet, they don’t push us in any direction. They allow us to make our own decisions and live our own lives as individuals. They also make me laugh harder than most people, but don’t tell them that.
Has the pandemic changed your perspective on healthcare at all?
For sure! I’ve gained such a huge appreciation for those on the frontlines – especially after completing my clinical placement this past summer. Not only do healthcare professionals have to complete their regular duties, but they also have to provide extra emotional support to patients who are no longer allowed to be accompanied by their loved ones who would normally provide that form of support for them.
What is your best piece of advice for new Michener students?
Ask for help and use all of the resources available to you. Reach out to your professors – they’re very supportive, especially given the current state of the world. Attending school virtually can be an isolating experience, but I promise everyone is going through the same thing as you and can probably use you as a friend as much as you can use them.
What orientation event are you most looking forward to?
I would say the virtual Paint Night. Painting is one of the few things I didn’t get to try while in lockdown. Doing an activity with new people is also a great way to get to know each other since it gives everyone something to talk about (instead of doing ice breakers that everybody dreads).
What is something funny that happened to you recently?
My little cousin gasped when she saw my 1998 necklace and realized I was born in the “nineteen hundreds” and not the 2000s. I’ve never felt so old.
What’s been your most memorable moment at Michener so far?
I would have to say attending my first in-person lab in second semester. As a Radiation Therapy student, all of my classes in first semester were virtual, so I had never even been to campus until January. Going to labs in second semester and getting to put faces to names, or even recognizing voices from Zoom calls but now getting to put them to a face, was very interesting. What was amazing was that it didn’t feel like we were meeting for the first time because of all of our online interactions. So again, I encourage you to reach out to people online and participate in group chats!
Pauline Ringor
What program are you in?
I’m in my second year of the Radiological Technology program.
What Orientation event are you looking forward to most?
Paint Night would definitely be the event I’m most looking forward to! I enjoy painting in my spare time. I’m no Picasso but I still find painting very calming and enjoyable.
Has the pandemic changed your perspective on healthcare at all?
Yes, it has made me appreciate the vital importance of healthcare workers and the hard work they put in after seeing their bravery and the sacrifices they have made to help patients.
What is your best piece of advice for new Michener students?
Never forget to take care of yourself. Our programs can be very stressful, but always remember why you’re here and try to enjoy the process as much as you can. Take breaks and do things for yourself that you enjoy as well.
What’s something funny that happened to you recently?
I was walking around the mall and saw my friend. I waved to her and started walking toward her to give her a hug when I realized it was a total stranger. I had forgotten my glasses that day.
Who is your hero/heroine and why?
My hero is my mother as she is a breast cancer survivor and showed me the true meaning of strength and resilience.
What’s been your most memorable moment at Michener so far?
In-person labs have been memorable for me because these were the only moments I was able to connect with my fellow classmates in-person over the past year and form even better friendships.
