Meet our Campus Celebrity Bernadette Peterson! She is a second year Astronomy & Physics major with a Math minor. Bernadette is a dedicated young lady whose talents and contributions to the UVic community have made her university experience more fulfilling.
Most recently, Bernadette was elected to be one of the UVSS’ Directors at Large. This position allows her to attend board meetings with the Executive Directors and assist with their duties through planning and promotion. She aims to get more students involved with campus life by working closely with the Director of Events to promote more campus-based activities that aren’t solely “party-based.” Some of her ideas include bringing a TEDx Talk to the campus, and organizing more diverse student events that cater to a variety of departments. For example, in her campaign for Director at Large she suggests having a Star Party on campus – “a star-gazing event where students bring sleeping-bags and discover astronomy while sipping hot chocolate in the moonlight.” She aims to make campus life more accessible to all students and have events that appeals to many different demographics.
When asked about her fellow Involve members, she describes the team as a very strong group of individuals who play together as one. “Everything we planned was always about we do this, and was never about what one person wanted,” she recalls, “even in the month leading up to the elections it was all about meeting the general consensus and making sure everyone was okay with what we were doing.” They are all hard-working individuals who got elected as Directors at Large as a team.
Apart from completing her duties with the UVSS, Bernadette is also a very active member of Vikes Nation. She is involved as an Ambassador as well as a cheerleader for Vikes Cheer. Athletics is definitely something that she is passionate about as she has been involved all her life. She has been cheerleading for 10 years, and even participated in the 2010 Olympic Opening Ceremonies in Vancouver as a dancer. Through Vikes Nation, her role is to promote events and raise team spirit. These opportunities, among other volunteer work on campus, gives her more of a sense of belonging on the campus as she says her involvement makes the university feel more like a home. She encourages others to be active on campus, and says that approaching any club table on campus is a good start to getting involved. “If you see a club table, ask how you can get involved. Even though it can be intimidating, it’s not that hard.”
What’s in the future for Bernadette? She’d like to graduate of course, and also work hard to bring a TedX Talk to campus through the UVSS. On top of that, she’d also like to find a healthy balance between her schoolwork and her many extra-curricular activities. There is no doubt that she will be successful in her future endeavours and make the most of her time at UVic. She will next be seen at the Vikes Nation Dance Showcase on March 21st at the Farquhar Auditorium. Stop by to support Bernadette as well as your fellow Vikes!