What is your best first year memory?

I thoroughly enjoyed all the events organized by SFU and the Faculty of Education over the course of my first year, however, my favorite memory is of Welcome Day. Through Welcome Day, I was able to connect with many other incoming education students, which is how I met one of my best friends here at SFU. In addition, the Welcome leaders did a fantastic job guiding us and helping us feel comfortable, which made me feel welcome and enhanced my experience.

Words of advice to new students?

Try to take advantage of all the SFU and Faculty of Education social events or clubs — they’re valuable opportunities to meet new people and get involved in the community! It takes a lot of courage to attend these events, especially alone, but personally, by stepping outside of my comfort zone I’ve gained more confidence in myself, improved my interpersonal skills, and I’ve made many new friends.

SFU has a myriad of clubs based on various hobbies, sports, recreational activities, cultures, and so on, which makes it easier to meet other like-minded, inclusive individuals. I highly encourage students to participate in events hosted by the Faculty of Education and the Education Student Association because I found them to be extremely welcoming, fun, and worthwhile. Furthermore, I recommend joining the Education Student Association because as a first year, it was tremendously helpful to have a great network of education students and staff who have tons of knowledge and advice to share.

What are you involved in on and off campus?

On campus, I am currently the President of the Education Student Association and a volunteer at SFU Summer camps, while off campus, I volunteer twice a week in a grade 5/6 classroom at Inman Elementary School. All of these extracurricular activities provide rich learning opportunities that I believe will be beneficial towards my career as a future elementary school teacher.