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History of Science and Technology student says King’s has changed her way of being in the world

History of Science and Technology student says King’s has changed her way of being in the world

For Megan Krempa, choosing between studying the humanities or science was impossible. Luckily for her, coming to King’s meant she didn’t have to choose.

“I was always very interested in everything,” Megan says. She took the Foundation Year Program (FYP) Science last year and is now in second year pursuing an honours degree in the History of Science and Technology (HOST). She says she didn’t want to just be limited by arts or science, “…because melding humanities and science together really enables you to get a clearer grasp of the world and about how we interact with the world and how things have come to be.”

Megan’s favourite place to read at King’s is in the library: “There’s this really nice chair that has this perfect view of the statues in the main library collection, or the fancy library collection that I just love to stay in if I can for hours and just read and just kind of be in this wonderful atmosphere.”

Megan’s year in FYP was a busy one. As she immersed herself in reading, thinking about and discussing the great books, she also sang with the Chapel Choir, joined the King’s Theatrical Society, was a tutor with YouthNet, and took advantage of invitations to see guest speakers. One such guest speaker, HOST alumna Dr. Stephanie Dick, BA(Hons)’07, had a particularly strong influence on Megan.

“I wanted to learn about the why, and about how things fit together in the history of the world. And I went to see this wonderful speaker, [Dr.] Stephanie Dick, talk on how she became a history of science, and specifically a history of math and technology, professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and she really, really, influenced me… I [realized I] could actually learn about, you know, the history of science and the history of math and how everything fit together into today’s world.”

As Megan grapples now with how the development of science informs our understanding of the natural world and the place of humans within it, she also reflects at a personal level about her own place in this order and at King’s.

“I feel like coming to King’s has changed my way of being in the world. I’m more present, very much more conscious of other people…I’ve become more comfortable with myself, and just expressing my ideas and my opinions and thoughts.”

Megan is from Bewdley, Ont., a village near Cobourg, Ont. Coming to this close-knit community felt welcoming, though she says she intentionally made a place for herself here through her activities and interactions with so many different, interesting people. “I think King’s is a place that you can really learn, and you can really explore different things.”

“This was the place I was always meant to be.”


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