Faculty of Education and You: David Chang

“I appreciated that the program was broadly construed. What attracted me was the combination of the strong emphasis on the philosophy and theoretical portions of research, and the freedom to conduct my own investigations.”

“I came to the PhD program with an interest in environmental education and in contemplative traditions to cultivate deeper inner understanding. My supervisor, Dr. Heesoon Bai, was very supportive of my desire to put together a doctoral project that encompassed these three vital components. 

“I spent close to a year living on an off-grid island. It was an opportunity for me to try to live as simply as possible while going deep into my contemplative practice, Zen Buddhism. It was one of the most memorable moments in my doctoral studies and my life in general.”

“The program revealed to me things I didn't know about myself and my life path. It taught me what I'm capable of and what I resist in terms of my own growth and development. Now I see certain possibilities for my own life's unfolding that I didn't see prior.”

“There is now a certain rigour to the thinking, certain cautiousness that I bring to how I engage with the world now, and I attribute that to my education throughout the doctoral program.”

“I am currently doing an internship in clinical counselling, so I am working with clients who are working through lots of different issues. I found that my training in the doctoral program has helped me tremendously in this regard as we try to understand someone’s experience.”

“I advise future graduate students to trust their intuition and nourish the passion inside of them. Let curiosity lead you through your studies because it is sufficient to pull you through.”