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Mrs. Beth (Heslop) Payne (BA 1970)

     Even in its earlier days, the University of Waterloo was well-known for exploration and innovation, and Beth (Heslop) Payne (BA 1970) remembers choosing UW for that very reason. Although she knew that she wanted to study the more traditional areas of English and Philosophy, UW’s good reputation in the newer fields of Computer Science and Psychology also attracted her interest. It wasn’t until the end of first year that Beth decided English would be one of her majors.

     As Beth continued her studies, she met professors in English who inspired her and helped to develop her interests. Professor McRae, who taught Beth a course in Canadian Literature, stands out in her memory “for his fine intellect and dashing manner.” Thanks to Dr. McRae, Beth developed a strong interest in Canadian Literature that was nurtured further by Canadian poets who visited the UW campus: Irving Layton and Earle Birney. Beth also remembers Dr. Paul Beam, who taught her a course in Victorian Literature, as “the most enthusiastic facilitator” of her learning. The course was co-taught by Professor Beam and a professor from the faculty of History, with a strong focus on literature as social history. After graduating, much of Beth’s work involved teaching. The idea that literature could both reflect and influence social circumstances regularly popped up as a theme in her own instruction.

     After completing her studies at UW, Beth combined her interests in English and Psychology to train as an English teacher and guidance counsellor, working in both fields for a combined total of seven years in Toronto and Orillia. Love took Beth overseas to the UK, where she taught in Harrogate for a few years before moving again with her husband, first to Yemen and then to Vanuatu. She later returned to England, living both in Dorset and Worcestershire, where she continued teaching while raising two sons. Most recently, Beth worked as the Head of Psychology at a comprehensive school in Malvern, an urban area in Worcestershire. She has since retired, and has upcoming plans to travel with her husband and a group of Canadian friends to Corsica.

     From keeping in touch with her own students and watching her sons pursue further education and careers, Beth muses that the lessons people take from university are varied, and that university may not be for everyone. For Beth personally, her experience as an English student and her time at the University of Waterloo were invaluable for helping her to learn and to grow. “For me, [university] was a much sought after independence, and a very rich learning experience through interactions with fellow students and lecturers. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, and I am very pleased that I chose Waterloo.”