Featured reads

In this edition of our Featured Student series, we’re celebrating someone who has been a cherished member of our CEC family for the past two years: Vanshika Mahajan. Vanshika is a third-year student at the SFU Beedie School of Business. She is passionate about long walks (in nice weather), dogs, and giving back to the community.

October is not just the season of pumpkin spice lattes and cozy sweaters, it’s also Cybersecurity Awareness Month. While CIRA’s 2023 Cybersecurity Survey shows that ransomware attacks and the dangers of AI grab headlines, the emotional and mental safety and wellness of children is another key online safety concern.

Hello! My name is Teija, I began my journey with the SFU Surrey - TD CEC as a Program Volunteer with Racing Readers to help grow my experience in Education. Being involved in this program helped increase my love for working with children and opened my eyes to new ways of learning.

Hello, my name is Akiko Ohta. I’m a Ph.D. student at the Faculty of Education. Before starting the doctoral program at SFU, I lived, studied, and worked in different parts of the world. I am passionate about making this world where anyone can make their lives following their wishes and desires and working toward becoming whom they want to become.

The summer has begun and we are here to share both good news and the sad news... As many of you may know, the programs here at SFU Surrey - TD Community Engagement Centre is filled with talented, passionate and very loving individuals. We are sad to share that Eleanor Wong, who was our Volunteer Engagement Assistant and a recent SFU graduate, has parted ways with SFU Surrey - TD CEC to pursue her path as a teacher. We had the opportunity to share a feature on Eleanor's story and her words of wisdom with volunteering.

Raching Readers has always been a highly sought out program to volunteer for. This summer, we're very fortunate to our two Racing Reader Lead Volunteers join us back! Helen, who is one of them and Japnaam, who you will get to know through this blog! Japnaam is a 2nd year student at SFU, majoring in Sociology with a minor in psychology. With the dream of becoming an elementary teacher, she has joined Racing Readers as one of our Lead Volunteers to further solidfy her passion for supporting students.

Hi everybody, it is so nice to meet you all! My name is Helen and I am currently completing my undergraduate degree with a Sciology major and Education minor in Counselling and Human Development. Throughout the past couple of years, I have had the amazing opportunities to volunteer and work for community programs that support the growth and development of youth and students.

Hello Reader! My name is Anna Markovic, I am a 4th year Psychology Major who is also completing a minor in counselling and human development, as well as a Hellenic Studies Certificate. I always wanted to help people, but I never knew how I would accomplish this because typically, a helper is associated with a doctor or lawyer, and these were two careers I was not interested in.

The Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society is a non-profit organization that provides food assistance, emotional support, case management, personal development and promotes self-sufficiency thanks to donations that come from individuals, organizations, small businesses, and different fundraising events. The food bank offers many volunteer opportunities that are focused in different areas, i.e., consultation, food bank, case management and many more.

The hardest part of volunteering is always taking that first step to start. We know that it can be awkward sometimes and one can feel shy. BUT one thing we can happily share is the positive experiences each student has when they complete a volunteer term. There's one to share her experiences with you in case you're hesitant 🤓

Keira continues to be a strong member of the SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre, as she is the Tutoring, Homework and English Support Program Site Coordinator. We are excited to share her continuing journey and experience with everyone, so don’t stop reading here!

The Book Buddies Program is our newest program here at the SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre. We had the chance to connect with our first Program and Volunteer Supervisor of the program and have her share her current experiences with us.

Volunteering is a great way for new immigrants to gain experience, meet new people, learn about workplace culture norms, improve communication skills and give back to the community. Are you someone who’s new to the Canada with previous expertise from your home-country? Or are you looking for academic related experiences? Refugee Jumpstart may be the experience that you are looking for.

In 2013, SFU students from Enactus SFU began developing an after-school program for newcomer children and youth. That was the beginning of a now seven-year journey to co-create key community programming that has weathered many bumps and challenges. We gathered some of the people still involved with the Media Minds partnership to reflect on the nature of its strengths and resiliency, and to honour its ongoing commitment to community impact.

We are sadly writing this feature as one of our Racing Readers Program and Volunteer Supervisors will be completing her time in the role at the end of this semester. While we are sad to see her go, we wanted to celebrate her time in this leadership role, alongside other initiatives that she has supported with the SFU Surrey – TD CEC.

Volunteering can seem like a very intimidating thing to get into, especially when you don’t know people, or if you’re unsure about the role, or even when you see more ‘tenured’ members within the community. BUT!

With the SFU Surrey – TD Community Engagement Centre constantly growing, there are ones who join hands on the back end of things to make it happen, which Eleanor Wong is one of them!

Rufaida Kheraj began teaching when she was still a student herself. Standing in front of a roomful of six year old faces alight with the characteristic curiosity and wonder of that age, Rufaida knew that she would one day become a teacher.

From volunteering internationally to volunteering back home and working as a Program and Volunteer Supervisor. This is Jenny Lu’s journey and her passion to teach and mentor youth.

Coming from an immigrant family, I understood how hard it was for newcomers to learn English and quickly adjust (and often assimilate) to a new life in Canada. In this Marketing Assistant opportunity, I found through SFU Surrey - TD Community Engagement Centre, I was able to find my voice as a designer that aligned with my background and values...

How did you decide to go to SFU? I attended the sessions presented by the different universities and visited the campuses for their information sessions. In high school, I joined a summer film camp at the SFU downtown campus...

I was once a student who just used to attend classes and then head straight home afterwards. I thought that this was what the life of a commuter student was...

Graduating can be scary: when you complete a bachelor degree, it means entering society, like getting a job, becoming an adult, and looking “successful”. As a 4th year student, I still find it extremely stressful to graduate because of the fear of not knowing if I have prepared myself enough before entering the “real” world.

Getting an interview is a positive sign but it could be very challenging because it requires a lot of preparation while maintaining your schoolwork and other commitments. Being rejected by those countless interviews was the worst feeling I had experienced because I felt devalued.

Bark, bark, bark, bark, yip, bark, bark, bark, bark, yip, bark, bark, bark, bark, yip, yip yip, bark, bark, bark, bark, bark, whiiiiiiiine. Bark… bark, bark! Yip, yip, bark, bark.

If I were to be completely honest, I put off searching for my first SIAT (School of interactive arts and technology at SFU) co-op job for quite some time. There was something about jumping from the classroom to a company.

It's been a challenging year for many of us! We put together this video to thank everyone on this tough journey.

Taran is a determined volunteer who is a criminology major and doing a minor in learning disabilities. She started volunteering with the SFU Surrey-TD Community Engagement Centre in the beginning of 2020 with Racing Readers.

Have you ever felt the need to do something meaningful in your life? Or to contribute to the community? You’re not alone! Jaskaran, a fourth-year Health Sciences student at SFU feels that way too.

Kimran Nijjer is a 3rd year Health Science student under the Faculty of Health Sciences. She is currently volunteering with the SFU Sources Food Hub since last June 2020, which is when the pandemic started to emerge.

Ameet Khaira, a fourth-year student, transferred from Kwantlen University to SFU in her second year. In a new atmosphere, volunteering with SFU Surrey - TD CEC has helped her thrive and open a door of multiple possibilities.

Gretchen Ferguson is a SFU Director of Global Engagement for Africa, Middle East and South, Central & Western Asia Sustainable Development as well as the Global Networks Refugee and Newcomer Program.

Here is the story of a first-year student who decided to take on chances by volunteering with Racing Readers despite being faced with two uncertainties at the same time: with the new learning environment and virtual volunteering.

As we know youth are one of the most crucial generations among the 20th century as they will develop new ideas for the world, they need to be educated and to be motivated for their future.

Keira Woo is a third-year Psychology student with a dream of becoming an elementary school teacher in the near future. This is the story of her journey from volunteering for the CEC and four helpful tips to help you get started with your volunteering journey.

Have you ever had a burning desire to engage with children? Do you love sharing fun and enjoyable moments with kids? Are you seeking for a career in working with children? If yes, then you have come to the right place.

As an ambitious International Studies major at SFU, Melody has been through the struggles of language barriers and cultural differences. With this experience, she decided to utilize her personal experience as a blessing to the newcomers.

Saba Fatemi is a SIAT (School of Interactive Arts and Technology) student at SFU. She is a program supervisor for SFU Surrey - TD Community Engagement Centre’s Media Minds program, and she was also a Lead Volunteer for Racing Readers.

Surbhi Ratti, third year SFU Resource and Environmental Management student, saw the increased need for food security initiatives as the previously relied-upon organizations were forced to downsize in response to COVID-19.

This is the story of Azadeh Adibi, a passionate SFU graduate student who travelled half the globe to perfect her craft in teaching English. She is now pursuing a second master’s degree at SFU under the Educational Technology and Learning Design program.

How would passionate volunteerism at SFU Surrey TD Community Engagement Centre look like? Jennifer An—an SFU alumnus who volunteered for Learning Buddies Network , Racing Readers, and Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver's Mentoring with Math program—has an answer.

Are you someone who feels demotivated due to the pandemic? Would like to take part in something fun and meaningful as well as contribute to the community, all from the comfort of your home? Then Media Minds is the right fit for you.

Hishaam is a professional student who aspires to be a teacher, because he loves to share knowledge that can impact others positively and grow as a person. He enjoys learning, baking, and volunteering in his free time.