NICOLE BUTLER: BROADENING HORIZONS
Nicole Butler was a Webber Academy student from Junior Kindergarten until Grade 12, graduating in 2017. After graduation, she attended Western University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Relations with a Major in Spanish. She graduated with her university degree in 2021. Nicole then set off for London, England where she lived for three months. She was an intern with the NGO AFRUCA (Africans United Against Child Abuse), focusing on international modern slavery and human trafficking. Afterwards, she moved to Geneva, Switzerland, for six months to intern with the United Nations in the Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Throughout her time in Europe, Nicole met many interesting people from around the world. She was able to spend a few months travelling with friends after completing her internships.
Nicole is now back in Calgary, preparing to pursue a Juris Doctor in International Law. She is hoping to specialize in international conflict management and international maritime law. In addition to this, she is also working with a local startup, the Give For Good Organization, assisting with the launch of their online platform aimed at facilitating meaningful giving in communities within Alberta to alleviate the effects of poverty. Nicole’s community involvement doesn’t stop there. She recently returned to her club volleyball organization, ACE Volleyball Club, to be an assistant coach for the U14 girls team.
How did the pandemic affect your professional life?
I was heavily affected by the initial outbreak of the pandemic as I was studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain. Everything happened quite quickly as Spain followed Italy in closing borders very early on, and in about one week, I went from attending classes normally in person, to remote learning, to a 48-hour warning of Spanish border closures, to the final call for Canadian international flights home. I made the decision to get out of Spain when borders were being closed because strict restrictions were being implemented very quickly, and no one knew how long borders would be closed (in retrospect a good decision because I would have been stuck in Spain for at least a year). I packed up overnight and got on the first flight I could, ending up in London, England, which had yet to put restrictions in place. I lived in a hotel for a few days trying to decide my next move, but once Canada announced they were stopping international flights, I made the call and luckily got on the very last flight Canada operated from England back to Canada.
The following September was the start of my final year of university, and I was very fortunate to have the option of attending two in-person lectures (when Ontario was not under a ‘stay-at-home order’, which happened three separate times during my last year of university). Because I could occasionally attend class in person I moved back to London, Ontario, for the year to finish my university degree. As everyone experienced, there were inevitably many pros and cons to hybrid/remote class. Nonetheless, being in my university town with my roommates, and occasionally being on campus made it feel as if I did not necessarily “lose” my final year of university to the pandemic, which I am so grateful for. Thanks to my mom, I even had the chance to celebrate with a remote convocation in the summer at home with our pandemic “bubble” of friends and family.
When I officially entered the workforce after graduation, the pandemic was still experiencing various waves. However, since many European countries implemented such strict restrictions so quickly, Europe at that time was starting to open up. Although it was still risky with travelling restrictions, I made the decision to look for work abroad because the international experience would be invaluable to my type of career, and it allowed me to begin working without waiting for the unknown “end” of the pandemic in North America. I was absolutely still affected by the pandemic while working abroad. London experienced a major wave while I was there which meant I spent a large part of my internship living in London but working remotly. But as with all elements of the pandemic, the con of remote work had its own perks as it provided the opportunity for me to travel Europe and work from anywhere, such as Mallorca, Bath, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Belfast. This also meant that I was visiting places that would normally be overrun by tourists (eg. The Louvre, Sistine Chapel, Anne Frank House) but due to international travel restrictions while I was there they were nearly empty, which was quite surreal.
What was a blessing you got from the pandemic?
Although it was inevitably quite disappointing to complete my final year at university in a pandemic, remote classes meant that there was less time spent commuting to/from school and idling on campus waiting for classes. I was very fortunate to have made a close group of friends at Western whom I lived with while at school. Because we all had this new spare time it, in a way, caused us to be more present and appreciative of the time we had to spend together and forced us to get creative in how we stayed sane at home. In our final year of university, we made so many amazing memories that would not have otherwise occurred if we weren’t forced into such a unique time and situation. It brought us closer as people, which was such a gift.
When did you attend Webber Academy?
I attended Webber Academy from 2002–2017 (Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12).
Now that you have been away from Webber Academy for a while, what sticks out to you as something you remember well, or cherish from your time here?
The sense of community. During my time at Webber I always felt that I was in an environment where I had people — friends, teachers, staff — with whom I built genuine positive connections. Even today I can still go back to visit and feel so welcomed by the old and new community. I run into fellow students and teachers all the time, both in Calgary and around the world, and there is a unique sense of kinship that I think is very special to the Webber Academy community.
What advice do you have for current Webber Academy students?
Actively work to be well-rounded. Appreciate the community and opportunities that you have at school, but also broaden your horizons and make sure to gain different types of experiences and meet different types of people outside of school. Having your own well-balanced community will expose you to unique experiences and perspectives, effectively allowing you to develop a better understanding of what you want to do and who you want to be.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
Still learning, still travelling. Professionally, I hope to be working as an international lawyer dealing with global crises and dispute resolution (that may be for a private international firm in Canada, with the Canadian government, or with an international organization abroad—so on that front I am more than happy to just see where my career takes me). I also hope to have a Bernese Mountain dog!
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“I Would do Anything for You,” Foster the People
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Australia (after visiting Antarctica in 2015, I made a personal goal of visiting all 7 continents before I turn 25, and Australia is my last one to hit). This summer I went on a remote river expedition with my family where we rafted 150 km of the Firth River in the Canadian Arctic, hiking/camping/watching wildlife like caribou and Arctic foxes, learning about the Indigenous history of the land along the way, finishing our journey on a spit on the Beaufort Sea.
Fun fact: We actually got stranded in the Arctic at the end for about 3 days because we were caught in a storm and the tundra plane couldn’t come and rescue us until the weather lifted. The group of 15 (my family, other couples, plus our 4 guides) built shelters from driftwood to protect our tents from the winds and fished for Arctic Char before Parks Canada brought in a food drop via helicopter. We safely made it home eventually, and I was very grateful for a warm shower after two weeks of camping, but it was truly a trip of a lifetime!
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“Be where your feet are.” (Not a clue where I read it or who said it, sorry!)
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Book: The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
Podcast: Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown
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Fulfilling, reflective, (sometimes) overwhelming, serendipitous
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Family and friends, time for reflection, and unexpected opportunities