The 2016 SLC is on January 9th, 2016! Learn about the conference and its Co-Chairs below.
If you are familiar with UBC Recreation Intramurals, RezLife, or the SLC, you may have already met this week’s Campus Celebrities, Hassan Packir and John Wheler.
The SLC Planning Committee was not the first stop for our two Alberta-born celebrities. Throughout his time at UBC, Hassan has served three years as a Residence Advisor, three years on the SLC Planning Committee, and has worked on events such as the UBC Bike Rave and Destination UBC. Currently, Hassan is a Residence Coordinator in Place Vanier where he supervises “an amazing group of six Residence Advisors” in addition to his role on the SLC Planning Committee with his team of “truly exceptional students from across campus”.
John was involved with UBC Recreation Intramurals for two years prior to two years with the SLC, including his current role as Co-Chair. This past summer, John also worked on the First Year Experience team where he helped coordinate the efforts of Imagine UBC. When they aren’t in the Centre for Student Involvement & Careers with the SLC team, John can probably be found in the gym or spending “more hours than [he] would like to admit” managing his fantasy hockey team, while Hassan can be found over in Place Vanier Residence.
With only one month to go before the 2016 UBC Student Leadership Conference, you may be wondering, “Is it worth checking out the SLC?” Our celebrities have offered some insight into why it is worth your while. John emphasizes the discovery of ways to get involved on campus, the opportunity to gain tools for one’s own professional development, and learning from speakers and presenters. Hassan describes the SLC as an event that “fosters a community of leadership both in its delegates and those who plan it.”
Hassan was encouraged by a friend on his first UBC Residence Life team to apply to the SLC Planning Committee, he says, “and after an interview, two years and perhaps a clerical error, here I am.” It took some friends’ nudging and being turned down for another role for John to try something new after UBC REC. “At that point, my university experience had been completely transformed by getting involved outside of the classroom, and the SLC seemed like a great way to start facilitating that same opportunity for others,” he explains.
Looking ahead to graduation in May of 2016, Hassan hopes to find a path that “I enjoy and that allows me to keep growing,” while John reflects on his unexpected experiences at UBC, “My extracurricular involvements across my degree have uncovered a lot of passions I didn’t anticipate, so I’m still trying to settle in on just where I want to go next.” If you are looking at your own university journey and wondering what you might be missing, Hassan shares his belief that “extracurricular involvement and class go hand in hand in creating a successful student who is ready for either post graduate education or full time employment,” and would encourage a new student to keep this in mind. “Seek out those one or two things that really make you come alive. For some this is their classes, but for others it can exist elsewhere,” says John, who also urges students to consider seeking balance by investing time into the things they care most about (even if it means taking one course off of your plate).
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You may be asking yourself, “Can I be a part of creating this magical SLC experience?!” To this, our Co-Chairs say, “Absolutely!” Applications for the 2017 SLC Planning Committee open on January 9th, and students from all faculties and experience levels are encouraged to apply.
Want to register for the 2016 UBC Student Leadership Conference or learn more about the SLC in general? Check out the website here!