About

Jessica Schaub

Jessica Schaub is a Metis student from Cold Lake, Alberta. Jessica is a Graduate student currently working on a Master of Science degree in Oceanography. Jessica will be continuing her graduate work in the fall of 2020, working on her PHD studying Jellyfish. Jessica is involved in a variety of initiatives on the UBC campus, including coordinating the Indigenous Undergraduate Research Mentorship Program and is a former President of the UBC Chapter of AISES.

What are three adjectives that describe you?

Passionate, adventurous, resourceful

How did you become interested in your field of study?

I’ve always been interested in fish and aquatic biology. I grew up fishing in northern Alberta, and I always enjoyed reading books and watching documentaries about the ocean. Since high school, I knew I wanted to study Oceanography so I chose Vancouver because it was the closest coastal city to my family. I chose UBC because of the beautiful campus and proximity to the ocean!

Tell us a bit about your journey at UBC

I moved away from my family when I was 17 to start my university degree, which was challenging for many reasons. I was lucky to be involved in a small program, Science One, during my first year which helped me find friends! In my undergraduate degree, I completed a combined honours program which required that I complete a research project and write a thesis. My research was a combination of fieldwork and GIS analysis. Now as a graduate student, I do research every day! In the future I am interested in a career in research and academia, to facilitate knowledge and support the next generation of scientific learners.