“I needed my post-secondary education to be a place of growth,” says Nicholas Rickards (BA/BEd’15; MA’18). And it was. Since moving from Calgary to attend the University of Lethbridge Faculty of Education he has experienced life as a continuum of ever expanding possibilities.
Lifelong involvement with sports drew him to major in Physical Education, where his work with Drs. Sean Brayton and Michelle Helstein (Kinesiology) inspired him to enter graduate studies and conduct socio-cultural research. “One thing I learned in my undergrad was how much popular culture and media inform how we think,” Rickards says. A self-described cinephile, he noted a shift in perception during Barrack Obama’s tenure as United States president. “A lot of films were revamped to fit the ideals of people of colour.” He cites AnnieandThe Fantastic Four as examples of remakes which replaced formerly white characters with Black actors. “Many of these films, especially those targeted towards young adults, tell us a lot about race, sexuality, politics, and culture,” says Rickards.
Rickards’ thesis, Imagining Race and Neoliberalism in Young Adult Fiction, explores themes of colonialism, capitalism, labour politics and race in The 100, Hunger Games, and Maze Runner,popular dystopian films adapted from novels geared to youth.
While completing his masters Rickards taught at G.S. Lakie Middle School in Lethbridge, where he encouraged conversation about the messages of popular culture. “Kids know a lot and are open to having discussions,” he says. “I give them context and a platform to learn about things that are important but not necessarily part of the curriculum.”
Although a Physical Education major, Rickards embraced the opportunity to teach core subjects as a homeroom teacher. “It was my first time teaching in a classroom,” he says. “If I could give advice to anyone starting out I would say be adaptable and open to opportunities. The first year of teaching is a constant act of reflection. The most we can do is consider what we did wrong and what we did right so we can fine-tune our practice. Above all, it has to be fun.”