My name is Cheyanne Monk. I am currently an undergraduate physics student at Carleton University in Ottawa, ON, Canada. I entered my undergrad in my 30’s and am learning to navigate the world of STEM as a woman, a mature student, a neurodivergent person, a person with disability, and a person with a unique background.

My Story

Please note that there may be some triggering content below.

I grew up in a really small town in Northern Ontario. When I was very young, my parents discovered I could sing and put me on stage. As such, my teachers watched me grow up performing. When I was in high school, I expressed an interest in physics to the (male) senior physics teacher, but he told me that I was “more suited for the arts.” And I believed him. So I went to the University of Windsor as a theatre major.

While I was there I was misdiagnosed with a mental illness by the campus doctor, and he prescribed medication that caused me to sleep for 18 hours a day, which led to academic burnout. On top of this, I was in a situation that was causing me harm. In an effort to escape this, I then dropped out of school, got on a Greyhound, and went to Sudbury, ON, where I was homeless. I got access to the services I needed, and soon had a job and an apartment.

I started making friends through the local community theatre scene – the first one being a scientist. Through him, I joined a community band and met other scientists. It tickles me to this day that all of my scientist friends were made through the arts. In my conversations with them, I started remembering the initial interest I had in physics. These people all worked at SNOLAB

I started taking a math class online, just to see if I could still do it after all of those years, and I got a 98%. Then I took another. And another. Then I started taking science classes, physics and chemistry. My lowest mark was a 94%. Meanwhile, I was working full time and paying down my student debt, and building a community of people I love to support me. After ten years of hard work, I was ready to apply to university and pursue my passion.

That was the year that the local university cut the physics program. Another setback, but I was used to those by then. So I packed myself up and went all the way to Carleton University in Ottawa, ON, six hours away in a brand new city, all by myself. I entered undergrad as a 33 year old in 2023 and I am still going. I am succeeding. And I’m here to tell all the others that they can, too.

If you have made it this far, I would like to ask to you please consider buying me a coffee or putting a little toward my student loans. Every little bit helps and is appreciated.