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SASU President Hannah El-Hilo Reflects on Memorable SFU Moments and Academic Growth
We recently interviewed the President of SFU’s Sociology and Anthropology Student Union (SASU), Hannah El-Hilo, as she shares some reflections on her transformative experiences at SFU. From engaging courses with passionate sociology professors to leadership roles within the student union, this interview delves into the highlights, skills acquired, and valuable advice for academic success and personal growth. Join us as we navigate through the highlights during Hannah's time in the department of Sociology and Anthropology.
Hannah is currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Sociology (major) with an intended minor in Public Policy, an intended minor in Criminology, and a Social Justice Certificate.
Ask: what have been the highlights of your time in SA and SFU?
Hannah: I really loved the quantitative research classes I took with Professor Katherine Watson! SA 257: Understanding Quantitative Methods surprised me by how fun it was, and really opened my eyes to how exciting quantitative research and hypothesis testing could be. Professor Watson’s teaching style and personality transformed the class into an engaging learning experience. Another SA class I really enjoyed was a special topics class, SA 366: Forced Migration and Refugee Studies with Abu Fakhri. Abu’s research was extremely interesting and his passion for the subject really shone through during our seminars. I would highly recommend this class if you get the chance to take it!
One of my highlights at SFU has been making friends with people from vastly different fields and from different backgrounds. I’ve gotten to learn so much from them in ways I never could have imagined before coming to SFU. Additionally, getting to know other sociology majors has been especially significant for me as it is always a privilege exchanging ideas and experiences with like-minded people.
Ask: are you in any student union/club? What prompted you to join?
Hannah: I’m currently the President of SFU’s Sociology and Anthropology Student Union (SASU). I have been an executive member of the union since my second year, but I decided to apply for a larger leadership position after the President at the time, who had always been very inspiring and supportive of me from early on, encouraged me to run. After considering of all the events and student-led change I could contribute to, I was really excited to get on board!
Ask: what university skill would you say has been the most valuable to you on your academic journey? How so?
Hannah: I would say the most important skills I’ve learned throughout my undergraduate degree so far is time management and how to do readings efficiently, and these often go hand in hand.
Sociology is a reading-heavy major and learning how to read articles in the most effective way has been very valuable as I’m able to accomplish more in a smaller timeframe.
This allows me to have time to diligently prepare for any assessments, work part-time and be a part of SASU, while still being able to enjoy some free time.
Ask: what advice/study tips would you like to share with your peers?
Hannah: In terms of study tips, I think it’s super important to look ahead to see future deadlines, and to keep track of them. For the last two months of each semester, I like to create a mega-calendar with all my due dates in the same place, since it seems like everything is due at the same time. This allows me to get a glimpse of what’s ahead, so I don’t miss any assignments! For exams, I usually revise by focusing on the lecture content while supplementing it with the readings, but it definitely takes repetition and experimentation to find what methods work best for you!
A piece of advice from me would be to find a space on campus where you can do something that isn’t totally academic, whether this be joining a club or a student union or just hanging out somewhere where you can form nice memories and meet cool people! I think leaving SFU with memories on campus that are detached from academics is one of the most valuable things you can gain from your time here.