Hi everyone:

My name is Ryan Nijjar. I was born and raised in Surrey. I have a big family and a big dog. When I was a child I played soccer and participated in martial arts. I love video games, travelling, participating in debates, and occasionally I enjoy a good book.

I am a second year Anthropology student and a first year Psychiatric Nursing Student.

I have always loved learning about different cultures, customs, and traditions. I believe that each one of us is immersed in a big bubble called “our society”. We occasionally see other cultures in an ethnocentric way –even if subconsciously- thinking that what we know is what is right and sometimes we criticize and objectify them based on what we know about our culture. I think our biggest mistake is that we really don’t take the time to learn and experience everything the world has to offer. Anthropology has allowed me to learn, to experience, and to understand what culture really means. My other great interest has always been mental health. I believe psychological well-being plays a key role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and I have always liked helping, and talking to people.

I am taking Sociology because aside from being a requirement for the BPN program, it is a subject that will allow me to expand my knowledge about how we function as individuals -both at a macro and micro level of structure- in the world. Society works in intricate ways, and having a body of knowledge about social functions taking into account various methods of investigation and points of view is very important. Learning about Sociology will allow me to further develop my role as a professional and as an individual, and I am excited about this course as I know there is a lot to learn.