This week we talked to the president of Access U Laurier, Sim Singh, as the club prepares for their exciting Youth Making a Difference Conference coming up this week. Get to know this motivated boss woman!
Name: Sim Singh
Age: 21
Year: 3rd
Program: Kinesiology (BSc)
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Favourite Quote: “Long live the rose that grew from concrete”
What world leader do you aspire to be like?
Valarie Kaur, an award-winning filmmaker and author, civil rights advocate, and lawyer.
What is ACCESS U Laurier and what is the club’s main goal?
ACCESS U Laurier is a Wilfrid Laurier University campus club and an official chapter of the not-for-profit, youth-run organization, ACCESS: Allowing Children a Chance at Education. Two focuses of ACCESS U are Creating World Leaders and Education in the developing world!
Why did you join?
One of my close friends from high school and I were looking for a club we felt would put our time to good use, and where we would actually be able to make a difference. I really liked what ACCESS U stood for and what they aimed to do. I’ve always thought about how we, as students who are able to get an education, can make a difference and give back to the communities that have supported us. I wanted to help people who are not in the same socio-economic pool, and that is exactly what ACCESS U Laurier does for those in developing countries who can’t afford an education.
Why did you want to become president of ACCESS U Laurier?
Throughout my time with ACCESS U Laurier I’ve become very invested in it and couldn’t see myself at Laurier without being in this club. I started out as a general member and progressed to volunteer coordinator, co-president, and now president. It’s something great to be a part of since the start of my undergrad here at Laurier.
What is the Youth Making a Difference Conference?
Youth Making a Difference (YMAD) is a one-day conference hosted by ACCESS that aims to educate, empower and inspire local youth to make a difference. Over 2600 students have attended the conference over the past 8 years!
YMAD Waterloo 2017 will directly engage students as active change-makers and not just passive listeners. The conference will consist of: opening ceremonies, a keynote, topic talks and workshops, and an organization fair. At the YMAD conference, a real world expert, Wali Shah, who’s a Canadian speaker, musician and philanthropist, will lead our workshop. He has spoken most prominently on topics including bullying, mental health, leadership and social change while utilizing both spoken word poetry and rap music. Within their topic groups, participants will work with facilitators to discuss the issues, cooperate to develop ideas and imagine possible futures. We are also lucky to have Laurier Alumnus, and football player, Sam Montazeri with us to help facilitate the event and perform. Here’s a link for more information: http://goo.gl/C7HTbo
What are you most looking forward to at the YMAD Conference?
I am really looking forward to seeing everyone’s hard work come together. All of the hard work the club has put into this event will really pay off. I’ve had the pleasure of working with such a great executive team this year and I can’t wait to see the event finally come together. I will probably attend YMAD for as long as I possibly can.
The club has been getting a lot of attention, how can people get involved?
We welcome everyone! The best way to keep up-to-date with when we will be hiring is by following our Facebook page; majority of our info is on there. Sadly, we are losing a lot of wonderful execs so there will be a huge opening for multiple exec positions ranging from Workshops Exec to VP of Finance.
For more information on the YMAD Conference and ACCESS U Laurier, click here to visit their Facebook page and check out the event.
Her Campus Laurier will be attending the event; come check out our booth and enjoy the awesome performances that will be happening throughout the day!