Jillian Moran really loves studying French.
A recipient of the 2024 Clayton and Alice Cook Scholarship for students in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the 2025 John and Jane Crosbie Scholarship, Ms. Moran was hooked on the subject since her very first lesson in elementary school.
When it was time for the Paradise, N.L., resident to choose an undergraduate program at Memorial, majoring in French just made sense.
“I really wanted to continue with it,” she said. “I’ve met some of my best friends through the program and I love being an arts student.”
International and national learning experiences
The scholarships enabled Ms. Moran to experience several opportunities to be immersed in her favourite language, spending the past two summers in immersion programs in St. Pierre and Quebec.
She spent the first two years of her French major primarily on grammar, but more recently she’s been focused on exploring French literature and cultural history, including the French Revolution.
Ms. Moran believes exploring courses in various disciplines in her Bachelor of Arts Program has opened doors, helped her develop new perspectives on life and offered new ways to think about the world.
Her minor is psychology, which she believes has helped her understand both herself and others on a deeper level.
She certainly understands how to be a successful student academically, having made the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences Dean’s List each year of her program.
Another aspect of university life that added a new dimension to Ms. Moran’s Memorial experience is her employment in the Career Development office on the St. John’s campus.
“[Going outside your comfort zone] is so important for individual growth and Jillian is definitely mastering the practice.”
For the last three years, she assisted with resumé and cover letter writing and with job interview preparation, among other duties.
“I really love helping my fellow students and chatting with them,” she said. “There are so many jobs out there that I was not even aware of!”
Her success as a career peer advisor was not lost on Denise Hooper (BA’94, M.Ed.’08), the associate director of Student Life at Memorial, who nominated Ms. Moran for the first cohort of the Limitless Leadership Program.
“Jillian is a true role model for her peers and is definitely destined for success,” says Ms. Hooper, citing Ms. Moran’s willingness to go outside her comfort zone as key to her trajectory. “This quality is so important for individual growth and Jillian is definitely mastering the practice.”
Leadership potential
Ms. Moran says she met “so many” wonderful individuals through the Limitless Leadership Program — from Memorial and from outside.
“I learned so many new skills and what it takes to be a leader and am constantly finding myself in situations where I am using knowledge from the program. It has definitely been one of my favourite parts of my Memorial experience.”
Coming up on Nov. 26, Ms. Moran will host Career Development’s signature event, Toast To Hire Learning, a speed networking event intended to connect Memorial’s students with local employer partners.
In her first semester with Career Development, she helped organize and prepare materials for the event. In 2024, she hosted for the first time.
“This opportunity allows me to use the skills I developed in the Limitless Leadership program, such as public speaking and networking,” she said. “And to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. I am so thankful to have the opportunity to host this event again this year!”
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