Dear Reader,
As the President of the BCIT Student Association (BCITSA), I welcome you to this Link issue, which features student leadership and involvement.
Learning to be a leader is a great experience. Last summer, while being trained for the presidential role, I expanded my skills in leadership, teamwork, and problem solving. These have stayed with me since, as have memories of sunlight, fields, and smiling faces.
Leading and supporting teams over these months, I see every day as a fun day. This perfectly resonates with the thought I had that originally inspired me to run for the role: That looks like fun. Nearly a year into the position now, I’ve grown more confident, assertive, and versed in management. These are all attributes instrumental in effectively chairing meetings and debates (a big part of what I do).
Beyond this, I’ve met and learned from many people in our diverse BCIT community: students, staff, BCIT and BCITSA executives, and more. We’ve bonded over the formal (such as initiatives and milestones) and the casual (including Fluevogs and theories of what it’s like to scooter down hallways). And in my role, I’ve observed how dedicated student leaders and advocates truly are.
On that note, as we approach this year’s student elections, I encourage you to check out the campaigns of your fellow BCIT students as they run for leadership positions, representing and advocating for you. You can also discover initiatives meaningful to you.
And, when the time comes, vote. Every vote counts. The BCIT community is better with your voice than without it. Your contribution will help you, your peers, and everybody at BCIT. That’s because the more input we have from students like you, the more we can understand what you need and care about. With your help, we can strengthen our case to push for the services we provide and further support you. For perspective, our past career fair had a phenomenal student turnout, which means that we have a greater chance of getting more employers interested in attending the next one.
Continue to explore the BCITSA services as well, like the Food Pantry, Wellness, and Entrepreneurship. These are all here for you. It’s important to me and everyone at the BCITSA that what we offer is used. I encourage you to try them—even just once. Being a student myself, I too have benefited enormously from reaching out to those services: Advocacy helped me get the exam accommodation I needed. Career Services staff helped me improve my job application. To learn about these and more services, visit the BCITSA website—and keep reading Link.
Hope to see you at the elections,
Liam Lauren, BCITSA President