We both applied to MA programs at the same universities he was immediately accepted to 3 and offered scholarships I was accepted to 1, given provisional acceptance in another, and rejected by the third. We had completed the same number of courses, often taking them at the same time with the same instructor. We both graduated in 2005 my average was higher, and I had been awarded several bursaries and scholarships by the school. He wasn't able to find employment during the summers off, so he lived with family and took odd jobs, like lawn mowing or working at neighborhood garage sales, to get some pocket money. His parents paid for his tuition and living expenses during the same period. I worked full-time for minimum wage at a restaurant job during my entire undergraduate education.
We were attending the same university in northern Canada, and we ended up selecting the same major (English) and taking all of the required and optional courses together. I met my (now ex)boyfriend in 2001 when we were both 18. When people (well, men) say that the wage gap is a 'myth' or that the differences are slight, small or based entirely on a woman's personal choices, I offer my story.
