Everyone needs a helping hand from time to time (helllooo, finals season), so I sat down to interview Pierre-Olivier Avezou, a U2 Accounting and Marketing student who’s dedicated to Empower McGill – both the noun and the verb.
If you’re looking for practical tips and tools to make it big in business, but are struggling with everything from academics to not knowing who to turn to for help, look no further than Empower McGill. “Empower McGill is a student run initiative that provides the tools necessary to promote disability inclusion in the workplace,” he tells me. “Recognizing the capabilities within every individual, we strive to break down barriers set intrinsically by students themselves, and extrinsically in the work environment.”
It’s always refreshing to witness initiatives and organizations that work proactively to be inclusive of all students at every level, and trust me when I say Empower McGill is more than just talk. “The Empower McGill: Tools for Success in Business Conference is coming up, and we hope to build an event that is inclusive, diverse, and accessible to all participants in order to redefine the preconceptions associated with disabilities. We want to open our organizations up to everyone and empower them to build confidence in themselves and business.”
So how did Pierre get his start at Empower McGill, and what advice does he have for students looking to make the most of their university experience? “Whether it’s Empower McGill or any other club on campus, I believe that reaching out is the best way to get involved! Honestly, all it takes is to talk to someone who’s part of a committee that you’re interested in; send them a message on Facebook or an email and just ask: ‘hey, do you have any events coming up? Can I help your club with anything?’ It’s amazing how many people at McGill are involved in some incredible extracurricular clubs, sports-related commitments, charities, and more!”
Keeping your goals in mind is also key for any business, extracurricular and academic venture you take on. “You have to focus on your priorities. What do you want to with your time? Get the best GPA you can, meet people, join committees you’re interested in, or take a chance and throw yourself into something completely new?” Or, of course Netflix and chill. “You might want to stay in bed and binge watch TV shows! But when you make a choice, as long as it is yours, then I believe you’re on the right track.”
Now, getting back to Empower McGill, which is Pierre’s choice of conversation, as well as his passion. As Co-Director of Sponsorships, he’s responsible for branching out his brand in order to draw in other companies and spread EM’s message. “My role is to create partnerships between our conference and different companies so that they can support us in terms of financing, providing keynote speakers, and crucial content for panels during the conference.” If that doesn’t sound like reason enough to attend, the conference is also going to be a great place to practise your networking skills and rub shoulders with potential employers. “We have recruiters looking to hire interns and graduatings students, but also to give us advice on the important conversations to be had about empowerment, disabilities and the workplace.”
Although the conference is focused on disability, Pierre implores all audiences to come along, and insists that everyone will be able to take something valuable away from the session that will be applicable in the world of work. “We believe this topic is something that anyone and everyone should know about. Evidently, in our everyday lives and future careers, we will all be working with and for people affected by disability. It is therefore of the utmost importance that we are aware of the implications, and how to best work together effectively.”
Pierre himself is proof that everyone should be excited about this conference.“This is one of the reasons I, someone who does not have a disability, am very excited about our variety of panel members and discussions, especially about Mental Health in the Workplace, Disabilities Driving Innovations, and much more to come on March 24th!”
So where and when is this event? “The conference is taking place on Friday March 24th from 9:30 am to 5 pm, a full day event. It will be hosted at the Omni Hotel on Sherbrooke Street West, right across from the McLennan Library and the Bronfman Building.” For more information, and to grab your tickets, check out their Facebook event page here.
Since I know all of you will be spending some very long hours in both of those buildings over the course of these next few weeks, the Empower McGill conference sounds like a convenient place to go to stretch your legs and expand your mind for a few hours.
All photos obtained from interviewee