Allana Hiscock is currently a second year student and a CL for the Leadership and Civic Engagement community on residence. When she isn’t busy planning programs and building friendships with the other students in her building, Allana can be found organizing an activity for QVic, a club that she founded with the goal of providing a place for queer students to feel more connected and less isolated within residence. If she’s not around campus, Allana is probably at David’s Tea purchasing more flavours for her obnoxiously large tea collection.
Becoming a CL
Halifax native Allana is definitely not afraid of a challenge. From travel to her current job role on residence, Allana has embraced life with open arms. Following her graduation from high school, Allana joined the Canada World Youth organization with a volunteer program for young people that is designed to help them grow as leaders. With the group, Allana was able to volunteer for three months in Bolivia and for another three in rural Quebec. It was during that time that Allana decided that she wanted to return to an educational setting. Her time spent in college in Nova Scotia, however, did not provide enough new experiences for her adventurous heart. Coming to UVic presented Allana with the new encounters she craved. She had such a great first year in residence that she applied for the community leader job on campus for the following year.
What She Strives For
Allana’s main goal is to make sure that everyone under her care feels as if they are a part of a family. Belonging is an emotion she cherishes and wants others to value. Allana feels that it is important for her to foster a happy environment for residents- especially those in their first year. Her role allows her to support students during the transitional time period of living at home while going to high school to moving away and studying at a university. Her work allows her to be an integral part of this transitional process and to help those who may be having a difficult time being away from their friends and family.
Her Work in the LGBTQ Community
Allana founded the QVIc club with a friend at UVic when she noticed the lack of support available for those in the LGBTQ community living on res. Her role as a CL propelled her longing to produce a positive environment for all queer students in order to make their residence experience better. The QVic club provides an area of support for queer students with weekly hangouts. Helping her to successfully run this program is the training she did at the Positive Space Network. This program was composed of a series of various workshops focused on making campus a more inclusive space for all genders and identities. Allana believes that this allows her to contribute in creating a more encouraging environment at UVic.
If you want to find out how to get involved with QVic, attend one of the meetings. QVic meets every Tuesday from 7:00-9:00pm in the Health and Wellness room in the Lansdowne complex.