Henrika Lim is a first year pre-business student who has made a huge impact in her short time here so far at the University of Victoria. In the little spare time she enjoys yoga, exercising, watching movies, and just being lazy. “When [you’re] busy, you miss the feeling of being lazy,” she says – something most students can relate to.
AIESEC Victoria is a group that facilitates international exchange, making it a feasible career choice for students. AIESEC is known as a global platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential. “I’ve only been here [in Canada] less than a year and it has opened my eyes to culture shock. [AISEC aims] to open [youth minds]. The club was established to [foster] cultural understanding.” Lim points out that lack of cultural understanding has led to war in the past: “we aren’t seeing ourselves as world citizens.”
Currently the Vice President of Marketing and Communications, her job is to reach out to their target audience. In her first term she joined the finance portfolio. They worked on sponsoring events, since the finances were a little too intense for a first year. Henrika was really involved with marketing, and when the vice president of marketing and communication told her to apply for the position, she got it! It was definitely a risk having someone with no experience leading a team, but Henrika could not imagine a more fulfilling experience.
Initially she joined AIESEC to gain a good network of friends. Not only has she achieved that, it has pushed her to take more responsibility: “what I do affects an entire team. I need to be organized,” she says. Even though it is just a volunteer job, Henrika believes she is improving herself in ways the classroom can’t replicate.
There are fundraising groups on campus that help less fortunate people in third world countries – but what if you went out and created that change in those countries, and saw the changes first hand? AIESEC provides a unique experience that can open a student’s eyes to a global community.
In September, AIESEC begins recruitment for students to join their global leader program. Students can volunteer and do internships and co-ops any time of year, because they are year-round opportunities. Four Social Science students will be receiving $500 each to travel abroad through AIESEC, provided by the Social Sciences faculty! A student who is open-minded, willing to learn, and interested in getting out of their shell can really blossom through AIESEC. You can learn interpersonal skills, networking skills, and time management skills, and you’ll challenge yourself in this environment.
AIESEC is holding an exciting info session, where you could win $100 off an AIESEC exchange! For information about that event, click here.
More information on AIESEC can be found here!