When fall graduate Heather Tough reflects on the advice that’s guided her through her academic journey, her answer is simple: always ask why.
Whether it’s ‘Why did the author argue that?’ or ‘Why might they think that way?’, the Ottawa, Ont., native credits a curious mindset with helping connect her studies with the broader world.
“I’ll ask myself: ‘Why are you doing this?'” she said. “Or: ‘Why is this important?'”
When it came to asking why study archaeology at Memorial, Ms. Tough’s answer was because the university has one of Canada’s few independent archaeology programs.
“I was allowed to specialize in both archaeology and anthropology as separate fields,” she explained, adding that the program’s interdisciplinary nature made it especially appealing.
Community connection
While pursuing her bachelor of arts degree, Ms. Tough’s hands-on experience wasn’t limited to the classroom.
During a recent work term, she served as museum co-ordinator at the Logy Bay-Middle Cove-Outer Cove Museum.
There, she managed daily operations, handled the archives and designed public programming.
“I worked with an amazing team and had so much fun,” she said, reflecting on how fulfilled she felt connecting with the community.
From educating the public about the Newfoundland and Labrador fisheries to conversations about sealing controversies, she says she learned from the stories the residents shared with her.
“I learned so much listening to the stories from people in the community and the joy many had when seeing things from their childhoods or that their parents, grand parents and extended family told them about.”
Now that she has completed her undergraduate degree, Ms. Tough plans to continue her studies with a master’s degree in archaeology.
“If you stop to think about why, everything you do has a purpose.”
Her research is focused on interpreting Black heritage and representation in Atlantic Canada’s colonial mortuary landscapes from 1600 to 1900.
Already making strides in her field, she received Memorial University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for her essay, Battles in the Cemetery: Power Structures Acting Upon African-American Mortuary Landscapes in the United States.
Ms. Tough points to her guiding principle as advice for students starting out on their university journeys.
“It’s okay not to have an answer to these things right away, but if you stop to think about why, everything you do has a purpose. It’s also okay to get things wrong and to admit that you were mistaken about something. That’s part of learning and growing.”
