Meet Tyler Murdock, a potential President for Wilfrid Laurier’s Student’s Union. We took the time to help you get to know Tyler so you can see that Laurier has two amazing presidential candidates running this year.
Name: Tyler Murdock
Age: 22
Hometown: Hanover, Ontario
Year: 5
Program: Kinesiology
Quote to live by?
Hard to choose just one. My favourite quote is definitely, “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” – Oscar Wilde, BUT the quote that I have lived by during my time at Laurier and the one that I have tried to instil in every leader I’ve worked with is, “Stay Humble, stay Hungry, stay Happy”.
Describe yourself in one word.
Personable. I consider myself pretty friendly and approachable. I try to make a friend out of everyone I meet.
What is one thing most people do not know about you?
One thing most people don’t know about me is that I am the youngest in my family, and am lucky enough to have 3 nieces and 3 nephews. Watching them grow up has taught me a lot about looking at things in a positive light no matter what.
What does being a Golden Hawk mean to you?
Being a Golden Hawk means supporting all of your fellow students and embracing the sense of community this school offers. It means being overly passionate about anything you get involved in and encouraging others to find their passion and get involved with the community. Laurier provides every student with the perfect home away from home, and being a Golden Hawk means embracing this new family.
So you’re running for Students’ Union president. How did you get to here from where you started at Laurier 4/5 years ago?
It was definitely a long road with a few detours along the way, and I had no idea this was going to be the final destination. When I started at Laurier, I had no intention of getting heavily involved, and it wasn’t really my scene before I came here. Near the end of first year, my don and a few of my icebreakers really encouraged me to get involved and try out a few committees like Icebreaking and Hiring & Recruitment. As I got more involved, I found my real passion for empowering others and the rest is history. I went from helping first years in their transition, to helping volunteers become leaders, to helping volunteers get hired and find which committee or campus club was best for them. Now, I want to use all of the knowledge I gained from those experiences and help advocate on behalf of students, to provide the best student experience possible for them.
How do you balance academics, a social life, and being involved on campus?
Honestly, this has been challenging every year. I stay organized and on top of everything by blocking out time for each commitment weekly, while also ensuring I block out some self-care time. If I do have free time, I try to be proactive and use that time to do work. When balancing commitments, I am a very visual person, and if I don’t have a calendar or a to-do list in front of me I am much more prone to forget. Despite how hectic balancing all of these commitments and responsibilities can be, I would not trade them for anything as I have found so many amazing friendships through my involvemnet. These friendships are what give me the motivation to get involved, as well as the motivation to work hard at balancing commitments.
If you could be compared to one leader who has ever lived, who would it be? Why?
I would have to say Mark Messier, who in my opinion is the greatest leader in any team sport ever. He was the kind of guy who focused on building a team atmosphere and being a part of that team, not above it, which is something that I admire and try to do in any leadership positions I’m in. He was also the kind of guy that wasn’t scared to get his hands dirty and stand up for him teammates when it was required. Lastly, he recognized when to empower his teammates and knew how to make them feel important, but also knew when to put the team on his back and step up in the crucial moments.
What has been your biggest inspiration here at Laurier?
My biggest inspiration has been watching others get comfortable and find their passion on campus. Once I realized how much this campus has to offer, my entire student experience was changed, and I can’t imagine my Laurier experience without realizing that. Every volunteer position I have held at Laurier since second year has been focused on helping others get comfortable and realize how much this campus has to offer.
If you are elected, what will be the first thing you do?
First I would call my parents. They have been extremely supportive my entire life and I just want to thank them for encouraging me to try this. After that, I would definitely thank everybody who has supported and helped me throughout this process. Elections are pretty draining, and a lot of people are committing their free time to help me reach my goals. Without my team, none of this would be possible, so I definitely want to make sure they’re recognized before I begin the journey.
We are so glad we got to know this amazing candidate and person!