Former long- time piano student Laura Pittman is no stranger to accolades. She holds many
past national and local awards as a pianist, to include a national travel and
workshop scholarship from Conservatory Canada for one of the highest marks in
Canada in a Grade 9 piano exam. At
present an engineering student at Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John's NL), she has
just won one of the highest scholastic honours that exists, a Rhodes Scholarship
for the upcoming year of 2013.
Laura, rowsellpiano wishes to
congratulate you on your enormous achievement of being named a 2013 Rhodes
Scholar.
Can you briefly outline what led you
to apply for this scholarship?
Aside from the amazing educational opportunity, what excites
me about the Rhodes Scholarship is the community of people you become a part of
and have the opportunity to meet. When
you bring so many people together with different backgrounds, interests and
areas of expertise there is tremendous potential to truly make a difference in
the world. The chance to be a part of
this community was one of the main factors that led me to apply for the
scholarship.
What successes and accomplishments
do you attribute to being named a Rhodes Scholar for 2013?
I don’t believe I could attribute a single success or
accomplishment to becoming a Rhodes Scholar; each endeavour that I have
participated in has helped shape who I am today.
Apart from my Conservatory Canada Award, some of my most notable
accomplishments include the Canadian Association for Co-operative Education
Student of the Year (2011), Canadian Interuniversity Sport Academic All
Canadian (2010 & 2011), Memorial University Alumni Entrance Scholarship and
Dean’s List Awards from 2007 to 2012.
As an award winning pre-college
piano student, do you think learning a musical instrument in your formative
years shaped who you are today?
Yes, I definitely believe that learning a musical instrument
helped shape the person I am today.
In what way?
Among other things, learning the piano helped improve my
focus and attention to detail.
Additionally, I always found music a great way to relax and de-stress.
It provided an escape from the sometimes chaotic and complicated “real world”
and allowed me to focus my energy (and sometimes frustration) and express it in
a productive way. After playing I always
felt refreshed and ready to tackle anything!
Can you define any skills you
acquired as a piano player and student of music that led to your success as a
top MUN engineering student, and future Rhodes Scholar?
My involvement in music not only improved my focus and
attention to detail but also exposed me very early to performing in public
which helped develop my public speaking skills.
Do you still play the piano for
enjoyment?
I still play, but not as much as I would like, and I continue
to find it a great way to relax and de-stress. I love sitting down and playing
old songs or tackling something new. I
don’t think I will ever stop playing for enjoyment.
How do you plan to use the Rhodes Scholarship,
and where might this lead you?
As a Rhodes Scholar-elect I plan to complete graduate
studies at the University of Oxford in England.
Beginning in October 2013 I plan to spend two years at Oxford completing
two, one year master programs. The first
will be a Master of Science in Biomedical Engineering followed by a Master of
Business Administration. In the future I
hope to lead a socially responsible, global company whose mission includes
improving the lives of others.
Do you have any advice for young
people with ambitions similar to yours?
Don’t be afraid to take risks, challenge yourself and
explore your interests; otherwise, you will never know your true potential.
Thank you Laura for the opportunity to interview you, and I
wish you all the best with your future dreams and plans.
Sally Rowsell, rowsellpiano
Nurture his creativity, stimulate his mind, and enhance his IQ.
