Roxanne Cornellier (Language and Culture, 2017) recently completed her Master’s degree in Art History at Concordia University.

She said it was during her time in Cegep that her interest in that field of study was sparked.

“It was through this program that I was exposed to Art History, a discipline that I fell in love with and pursued two degrees in,” said Cornellier. “I had no idea what art history was. It’s basically learning history through art and I’m such a visual person.”

She said she was inspired by the enthusiastic teachers in the program to keep pursuing her interests in university: “The professors’ care and passion for their courses give life to the program as students are encouraged to explore their own interests.”

Cornellier double majored in Art History and Latin American & Caribbean Studies at McGill, which she said was made easier by the fact she already had a working knowledge of Spanish.

“Learning Spanish allowed me to jump straight to Latin American literature courses instead of waiting a year or two to complete language courses,” she said.

During her undergraduate degree at McGill University, Cornellier has the opportunity to study under Prof. Charmaine Nelson, now the  founding Director of the Slavery North Initiative at University of Massachusetts.

An award-winning teacher and prolific researcher, Charmaine Nelson was the first Black person appointed as a tenured professor of Art History in Canada in 2001. During her seventeen years (2003-2020) at McGill University, Nelson researched and taught about James McGill, his connection with slavery and how that resonates in the history of the university.

At McGill, Cornellier was part of the team led by Dr. Nelson to research and document James McGill’s connections to slavery and to publish the Bicentenary Recommendations. She is part of the Advisory Board – Council on Student Initiatives for the Slavery North Initiative.

“It was very valuable to have someone like Dr. Nelson to be there to lead the group,” she said.’

As part of her participation in the project, Cornellier worked with two other students to produce a chapter entitled “Slavery and Western Universities and the Early History of McGill University” which was also published in Black Maple Magazine. https://blackmaplemagazine.com/research/slavery-research/ 

With the support of Nelson, Cornellier went on to publish other articles during her undergrad, including one in the Asterisk* Journal of Art and Art History at Yale University entitled “Blackface Minstrelsy Imagery and Political Caricatures”. This would become the topic Cornellier would explore in her Master’s degree at Concordia University which she finished in June 2024.

Cornellier is considering pursuing a PhD next and continues to be involved in the coordination of the Multicultural Tour at Champlain Saint-Lambert. Having attended the event as a student, Cornellier felt the annual event could be improved and submitted a proposal after graduation with a friend to design a new itinerary.

Over the last five years of Cornellier’s involvement, the multicultural tour has expanded to include activities like a Haitian Creole language class, a tambourine workshop, a salsa class and visits to Little Italy and Chinatown.

“It’s been a great way stay connected with the College,” she said.

Cornellier’s advice for current students and recent grads: “Ultimately it matters to do what you really like and what you’re passionate about. Don’t be afraid to try new things. Sometimes you have to go out and find a good opportunity yourself. Let somebody say no to you instead of saying no to yourself.”

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