Introducing to you all Raisa Crisologo, SFU Career Peer Educator and previous Director of Events and Member Engagement at SFU Passion Club and Director of Internal Operations at SFU Social Media Network. Currently in her last semester at SFU Beedie, Raisa shares her knowledge and advice on what it’s like to take on leadership roles that focuses on empowering others, being proactive, and even her take on social media in today’s digital landscape. With a motivated career in mind, there’s nothing that this girl can’t do!
Let’s get to know to know the basics:
Age: 23
Faculty: Business, 5th year (last semester Woohoo!)
Hometown: Surrey
Social media: @raisagoesoink, Twitter: @raisaflc, blog: goingroyal.wordpress.com
What first made you decide to major in Business?
To be honest, Business was not my first pick as a major. It was something I discovered along the way. Initially, I just wanted to pick a major that could get me a job after graduating. I knew I wasn’t good in Science, could work with Math, and have a love-hate relationship with English. Seemed like business was the middle point!
Have you always studied at Simon Fraser University? If not, where else have you pursued academics?
I entered SFU as a third year student. I was originally from Kwantlen where I was also studying Business. I transferred to SFU because I wanted to major in something related to information systems, which Kwantlen didn’t have. I know it sounds boring, but it’s fun in it’s own way!
You’ve mentioned that your peers find that sometimes, you don’t come across as a Beedie student. Do you think that’s true, and why?
Apparently yes, because it seems like Beedie students have a rep for being very uptight and competitive. I think it’s due to the nature of the business world itself. I mean, business is in the end, about making money, which usually brings with it a lot of negative connotations. However, I would like to believe that at the heart of it, business is about doing something productive and efficient that makes an impact in our everyday lives. Also, I wouldn’t consider myself as competitive, which I think is why I don’t seem to be the typical “Beedie kid”. I don’t see everyone I meet as competition haha.
What is SFU Passion Club and how do you contribute to it?
SFU Passion started as a Chapter of the Passion Foundation that aims to help women in third world countries by empowering them with leadership skills. This was how it first started at SFU when Adeelah launched the club. Overtime, it has grown into focusing not just on women, but in students in general. It has also expanded to include a lot of personal development tools to empower students to reach for dream careers, whatever that may be. It personally is a club that’s close to my heart, as I’ve worked with a group of amazing and wonderfully talented women that bonded over their desire to help their fellow peers during the time that I was Director of Events and Member Engagement. Seeing how it has grown, I’m so proud of what the new team is accomplishing and what they will be accomplishing in the future!
I’m aware that you have experience working with The Social Media Network as well. Can you explain a bit about it? How were you involved?
Yes I have. Social Media Network is a student-led organization that helps students that are interested in a career in social media to discover the different types of paths that they could take. It provides a lot of agency tours where students can get a sneak peek of what goes on behind the scenes and be able to talk (and essentially network) with these companies. To be honest, I was more interested in the position because it was something different from what I have done before. But I enjoyed working with the SMN team because they were a different type of group from what I was used to, which was really nice.
What are your thoughts on social media? Do you think it’s more positive or negative in light of the current technological innovations?
I think that like anything new and different, it will always have both a positive and negative aspect. The positive side being that people are able to express themselves and the fact that we’re all connected to each other. What I mean is that, a person from say the Philippines is able to know what’s going on the other side of the world like Kenya. It’s also interesting to note how social media has also paved the way for ideas such as the share economy where people from all over the world can share their resources via internet (think Kickstarter and IndieGogo). At the same time however, it has also created barriers or filters in terms of the information that people receive. There’s this term called filter bubble where you may have access to different sources, but because there is too much information, companies that own these platforms are filtering out other news depending on which links you click on the most. I think that it’s an ironic thing that something which has brought people together can also be used to divide them. Sorry, I think I rambled a bit here.
As a Chapter Writer for Her Campus SFU’s Editorial team yourself, what are your favourite aspects of HC SFU? What were your motivations in joining the team?
I like that I can basically write anything under the sun. This is a very freeing thing to have as a writer. Most of my writing experience has always been limited to articles or topics that falls within a certain category, such as business, career, and volunteerism. Most of the writing I’ve done that falls outside of those has been on my own wordpress site. You could say that my main motivation for joining the team was because I wanted to grow my writing voice in a more creative and productive environment. Bonus points that I love reading HerCampus articles when I have free time!
Are you involved in any other extra-curricular activities?
Currently, I volunteer as a Career Peer Educator for the Career and Volunteer Services here at SFU. I like it a lot because it’s a different type of environment and I feel like this position is one of those rare opportunities that I get to see the impact of what I do directly. As a peer educator, we do one-on-one sessions with students to help them with career-related topics such as their resume, cover letters, and interviews. One of the best things about being a peer is seeing a student’s face light up and knowing that you’ve helped them in a way.
Do you have any advice for fellow student leaders, or those who want to become one?
If I were to give one advice, it would be to just do it. Put yourself out there and don’t be afraid of failure. I used to be really scared and was not one to willingly put myself in a vulnerable position. But the moment I realized that I had nothing to lose and everything to gain, was the moment that I discovered that I could do so much – things I never thought I could have done before. So follow your gut and just go for it.
What is your dream career? How do you plan on getting there?
That’s a tough one. My dream career would be to ideally be the CEO (or at least hold a C-level position) for an organization that makes a difference in people’s lives in a positive way. It sounds too fluffy doesn’t it? That’s just the “professional” answer haha. I guess my plan to get there is to really just work hard in everything that I do and to do my best to keep my eyes open for exciting opportunities because I’ll never know where I’ll end up in.
What would be your perfect Sunday?
The perfect Sunday is a big cup of coffee, a great movie, and awesome company. How I wish I could have that everyday.
And how I wish that could be my everyday as well! Thanks Raisa for a very concise and informative interview. For those who are interested in expanding your network or jump into a leadership position, be sure to follow Raisa’s advice and just do it!
Photos provided by the interviewee