1) How does it feel to be elected as a WUSA executive?
I’m excited, but also a little anxious. As an exec, you get to do a lot of cool and impactful things. It’s a lot of responsibility, but there’s also something incredibly satisfying knowing that any changes you successfully advocate for will benefit students for years to come. That said, I’ve been involved with WUSA long enough to have seen how these roles can wear away at people. You can pour every last bit of yourself into this work, and it will never be enough. And so, I’m excited, but I’m not looking forward to the burnout.
2) What is the first thing you will do when you start your term?
Ideally, the first thing I’ll do in office is figuring out where exactly we are on various advocacy asks and projects, and what the major roadblocks are. Much of the first few weeks will involve taking stock of where we’re at so we can begin to strategize and set priorities for the upcoming year.
3) What are you most excited about?
I’m really looking forward to taking the report of WUSA’s Student Accessibility Commission and working it into specific recommendations for the university and province. It’s a topic that, despite impacting many students, hasn’t really been given much attention until now. I think each VP-ED enters the role with their own unique expertise and lived experiences that enable them to make headway in certain areas of the portfolio. I’m excited to bring what I know to the table.
4) What is something you will do differently this year compared to last year?
Personally, I think Megan (the current VP-Ed) is doing a phenomenal job as is. Despite *gestures broadly* everything, she and her predecessor have managed to secure quite a bit in ways of helping students navigate this time of deep uncertainty. That adaptability and responsiveness is something I admire and aim to continue when I’m VP-ED. The biggest change I would make is dedicating more resources to supporting our Faculty Society VP-Education/VP-Academics in their roles. I think there can be better synergy between my role and theirs.
5) Will you be working remotely. If yes, how do you feel about it?
We haven’t heard anything on this yet, but my guess is we’ll be working remotely for at least the first few months. WUSA is its own organization, but ultimately it’s still the University that has final say on when it’s safe to return to the workplace. Personally, I prefer working in-person. Working from home has its perks, but it’s honestly so much easier to focus without a cat pouncing on the keyboard and housemates squabbling in the background. That said, it is what it is. I’m confident we can still do great work through cyberspace.
6) What is something you’d like to say to the student body?
The “dot” over the letter “i” is called a title.
