I was nominated for the award for my work with the Chemistry Course Union.

As the tutor and sub executive coordinator of the CCU I recruit, train, and coordinate our incredible volunteer tutors. This year I overhauled the tutor training process with the intent of developing teaching skills using a “learn-by-doing” approach. The executive team and I are also in the process of creating new resources which allow tutors to maintain their expertise in subjects which they may have covered years ago. Finally, I restarted the sub-executive program, which helps tutors gain experience running the CCU by working with the current executive team as sub-executives. In doing so, the sub-executives become better prepared for a future executive role, and future executive teams in turn benefit from more experienced members.

 

To anybody who is looking to be more involved on campus, you’re in the right place! One of the Okanagan campus’ greatest strengths is its close yet diverse community. If you follow your interests and engage with the community, you’re bound to find like-minded people motivated by the same things you are. If you put yourself out there and join clubs, course unions, or whatever other parts of the community you find interesting, you’ll find a niche where you can engage with the people of UBCO in a meaningful and rewarding way. The blistering pace at which UBCO has been growing over the last few years presents many challenges to the various clubs, course unions, and other groups that make up the UBCO community. Because of this rapid growth, there are no shortages of opportunities to contribute to whichever part of the diverse community you call home.

 

Engaging with the campus community has been a profound and rewarding part of my university experience. My work with the CCU has been a crash-course in leadership skills and personnel management, and the experience I’ve gained in these areas will hopefully serve me well through the rest of my life. Beyond that, working with the CCU has afforded me the opportunity to work with an amazing group of people and to engage in a positive way with the UBCO community, which has proved to be a more rewarding experience than I ever would have predicted.