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Kaamla Mian: Confronting the unknown and finding community in new places
By Jacob Reid
Kaamla's hometown: Calgary, Alberta
Kaamla is a passionate MLIS student who, despite her winding path to Western, is facing academic and life challenges with determination.
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It was only a year and a half ago that Kaamla graduated from the University of Calgary with an undergraduate degree in English. Initially she had aspired towards psychology, but her interests drove her elsewhere.
“I just really like to read,” Kaamla said. “Books taught me how to navigate relationships … how to be a friend, how to be a daughter, how to be a citizen.” This made English the right path.
However, her choices faced some resistance. “‘You can't do anything with a degree in English’,” Kaamla recalled hearing. Confidently, she responded, “I'll just follow my passion and see where it takes me.”
After graduating with her English degree, Kaamla explored local employment options, finding a job at a nearby optometrist office as a patient service specialist.
Fun Fact
Kaamla loves reality TV: "It's so bad, it's good." She finished season three of Dubai Bling within a few days of its release.
Despite enjoying some aspects of her job, Kaamla was concerned about her career stability. She always had her love of books on her mind and had considered librarianship but chose not to pursue it since her preferred programs were out of province.
“I was just really scared to move, and I wasn't sure if I was going to like it enough.”
The unknowns of a career in librarianship made her reluctant and raised doubts. “There are lots of people that don't take librarians seriously,” Kaamla recalled thinking. Much like her experience during her program in English, she confronted stigma around the usefulness of a degree in library and information science.
Despite these concerns, Kaamla decided to apply to Western’s MLIS program. “This is a professional degree; that's what I liked about it, she explained.” She still remembers waking up to the notification of her acceptance to the program, describing it as a blur that took her time to fully process.
She started the program in January 2025 and has enjoyed its fast pace and elaborative structure. “It’s like when you open up a box and there's other boxes inside.”
Because of her introverted nature, she was concerned that community-building would be challenging. However, she found herself making friends on the first day.
“My classmates are really nice,” Kaamla said. “And I really like the faculty. They're really supportive.”
Kaamla was surprised by the accessibility of her instructors, having not experienced this in her undergraduate classes. “On the first day, I remember all the profs being like, ‘if you have any questions about the program itself, you can talk to me’.” She is enjoying the program and looks forward to each class.
Kaamla was uncertain about her future but has since grown more confident about her decision to enrol in the MLIS program. She recognizes librarianship as an important public service. “You're helping the public access information so they can make informed decisions. It’s going to help them for the rest of their lives,” she said.
To future students who may have similar doubts about their educational choices, Kaamla had one message: “Don't be afraid of the move to librarianship … there's a place for you with whatever interests you have.”
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Profiles in the Meet Our Students section are written by students in the Master of Media in Journalism & Communication program, who are enrolled in MMJC 9604 - Professional Writing.
