Parting Words of Wisdom: Take the Mic, be a Change-Maker!
Hey all, by the time you read this my time as president of the Ontario Tech Student Union, and subsequently at Ontario Tech University, will be over. I first came to Ontario Tech as a student in 2017, graduated in 2021, and was elected as president for the first time in 2021. For the past two years, I have worked at an organization whose mission calls to everything I believe in: justice, equity and standing up for what is right.
I have to admit that when I first ran for office, I did it on a whim. A last-minute decision just days before the nomination deadline, because I figured I would regret it if I didn’t put my hat in the ring. After two years as president of the Game Development Student Association, I thought I owed it to myself to try, figuring I’d be defeated by someone more qualified, with better ideas and better connections. Never in a million years did I expect to win. I certainly didn’t expect I’d do it twice.
I’m glad I did, because this job has changed my life. And yeah, I know everyone says that something “changed their life” when leaving it, but student advocacy at the OTSU (and at OUSA, who I said goodbye to yesterday) absolutely did. I’ve been in meetings with all types of government officials, have overseen the OTSU’s budget, helped increase psychotherapy coverage for 10,000 students and SO much more! If you’re ever looking for an intense learning experience, try your hand at an executive role at a Student Union. There’s more happening behind the scenes than you could ever imagine, and it’s incredibly fun to manage.
The best part of this job, though, is serving Ontario Tech students – you folks, who are my friends and the people I care about. It’s been the most humbling, rewarding, and (sometimes) stressful experience I’ve ever had. I’ve learned that I need to do work that feels meaningful and that is fulfilling, and student advocacy at the OTSU satisfied that need in a way nothing else ever has. To everyone who visited the OTSU, sent an email, or called my office, you are the reason the OTSU exists, why I had a job for the last two years, and why I am leaving this position as a different, more confident person than when I entered. Thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be your representative!
From the outside, it's hard to truly understand just how much goes on at the OTSU. Like most student unions, it's a machine of an organization and there are hard-working, dedicated people behind the scenes. It breaks my heart to have to say goodbye to these people, because each and every OTSU staff member has taught me so much. I can’t imagine what I would have done without them. And to OUSA’s Steering Committee and Home Office, I can’t type every name because this blog would get way to long, but in short, I just want to say thank you so much for helping me become the person I am at this moment.
Sentiment aside, some pieces of advice and maybe a nugget of wisdom for incoming student leaders: Rarely will there be a time when you’ll be fully prepared or when you’ll know how the paths ahead might diverge. But, if you have the drive to make a change, you’re on the right path! You’ll figure it out. I know even now, that there are so many things I wish I took more time to learn or situations I knew how to handle, but this is how we grow. There will always be people who want to stop you from doing what you’re doing, they’ll use age, experience, or any combination of factors to discredit you – don’t listen to them! We are where we are for a reason. If you’re in a leadership position, trust in yourself, develop a network of allies and stay true to what you believe in.
Student advocacy isn’t about knowing the best solution from the beginning. I learned the hard way that there is no silver bullet solution to most problems. Transit, tuition, access codes – there are a variety of issues to tackle and only a limited amount of time. I sometimes think that students believe they have no voice, but I’ve learned that that’s not necessarily true. In fact, we’re an incredibly powerful group that can push for radical change in our institutions and in the world at large. How we go about that change is the way we can find success. A phrase I’ve picked up through OUSA is that more often than not, students just need someone to “pass them the mic”. As your representative, I’ve done my best to distill your concerns into respectfully written letters, deputations at government meetings, or by gaining speaking rights on the floor of the Academic Council or Ontario Tech’s Board of Governors. These are all avenues to bring your concerns directly to decision-makers, and ways that I hope to “pass the mic” to you, the future leaders. Your voice is important, it does matter, and you can (and should) use it to change the world.
To prospective students who want to get involved, make the world a better place, or run in an election: DO IT! Do it because you might not have the opportunity again. Do it because the world, now more than ever, needs passionate people like you to make a difference. Do it because, like me, you might not think you have the chance. Do it because it might very well change your life.
