HUMBER LAKESHORE/ IGS CANDIDATES
What one qualification do you think will make you successful in the role? Why?
According to me, my relevant qualification would be my experience was being the Vice Chairperson of a college festival back in India. Where-in I learnt planning, executing, making timelines, organizing meetings, sending invites & managing events for college students. The motive would be helping students in engagement via interactive sessions, seminars, gaming events and free music concerts. Hearing to demand’s and presenting it to the council is more of a quality and skill, since expectational bars are always set high. Gaining the confidence, trust of the authoritative council and getting them on board requires talent, a good speaker and communicator. My experience’s so far have taught me and make me learn the necessary skill sets.
How have you developed and strengthened your leadership skills?
Growing up as an adult I like to stand for what’s right. Having said that as an individual I like to play and abide by the rulebook. Whilst I was the Vice-Chairperson of college festival, I had to delegate my planned work amongst my team mates and track the progress of it. Marking things off the check-list and effectively maintaining the social media platforms was one of my tasks. I strongly believe in learning with experience and I’ve learnt that being a good leader doesn’t mean who has been dominant enough. For me, a good leader is a person who is looked upon as a role model by the one’s down the hierarchy chart. At the same time, looking out for our team members & their well-being, being a good communicator & understanding them effectively plays a very important role in my experience.
Why do you believe it’s important for students to get involved with their student union?
Being an International Student I did come with a lot of campus expectations just like my fellow batch mates. And the only way to encourage students and creating a fun-loving campus environment I really do believe there needs to be active participation by the students. In order to bring the students together the student union plays a vital role. These student representative roles are basically the collective voice of students demanding in something essential to them be it academically, financially or something that has unanimous excitement may be an artist performing or some ice-hockey match. Looking after the well-being of students falls under the hands of the academic institution and being a student, I do really believe that amenities and facilities do play a vital role in short-listing which college one wishes to enroll himself in. Occasional free food, cup of coffee with cupcakes, on campus participation events for winning a ticket to a hockey match or maybe an athletic competition with gifting hampers of protein or pre-workout kit, providing affordable rentals or lease-hassle free accommodations, spin a wheel for discounted grocery coupons, etc. can be a few of the things that can encourage a student in regularly visiting the campus. Lastly, student union organizations are by the student, for the student and of the students same as “United they stand, divided they fall”.
What one qualification do you think will make you successful in the role? Why?
If I were to be considered for the role of Humber Ignite Board of Director, I believe my two-year professorship experience and 20 years’ experience as a student would make me a highly successful candidate. As a professor, I am well aware of the issues that students face, from their academic and personal performance, to their career prospects and the challenges
they face navigating their way through college.
How have you developed and strengthened your leadership skills?
I have developed and strengthened my leadership skills in various ways throughout my career, such as excellent communication and interpersonal skills, organization and time management skills, problem-solving and decision-making abilities, research and teaching abilities and strategic planning capabilities. My experience in teamwork has also enabled me to bring
together team members and work together to achieve a common goal, allowing for efficient decision-making and problem solving.
Why do you believe it’s important for students to get involved with their student union?
It is vitally important for students to be involved in their student union as it allows them to develop their leadership skills and be exposed to a wide variety of ideas, perspectives and activities. This encourages active participation and collaboration and allows for a greater understanding of the various resources available to students. Additionally, student unions provide an avenue for the exchange of knowledge, ideas and opinions amongst a broad
cross-section of the student body. This provides students with a platform for voicing their concerns and influencing positive change within their field of study as well as their respective universities. Furthermore, student unions also provide students with a greater sense of community and belonging, enhancing their university experience while also creating an outlet where they can get involved with activities and events taking place on campus.
Elinam Kamassah
Lakeshore/ IGS
What one qualification do you think will make you successful in the role? Why?
My involvement is one qualification that I believe will make me successful in this role. I represent my program, Bachelor of Child and Youth Care, as a class captain (serving on the Faculty of Social and Community Services Council) and a representative (serving on the Child and Youth Care Council). I regularly go to events run by Ignite. I use several Humber’s resources on a weekly basis, including libraries, student success, and student wellness services. I was also awarded the Program Excellence Award at Humber in 2022, which factored my “overall enthusiasm, enhancing their program of study”. Because of my involvement, I have great confidence that I can appropriately stand for the student body of Lakeshore Campus. I love Humber truly. Humber has provided me with so many opportunities and assistance through my journey in my program. Being on the Board of Directors is just one way I can put my knowledge of Humber to beneficial use and repay them for all their support.
How have you developed and strengthened your leadership skills?
Group projects completed in my program have greatly developed my leadership skills. One overlooked leadership skill is managing morale and equal delegation of roles. In my group projects, I was regularly elected as the leader, and I would have to factor in this element of leadership. I made sure that the load of work was balanced among group members, and that everyone’s roles matched their strengths somehow. When leading basketball, I have also practiced delegating roles. The ‘tally of sacrifices’ is a tactic I use to make sure everyone is treated equally in respect to their roles. The tally of sacrifices makes sure that one person is not sacrificing an unequal amount compared to their peers. For example, in basketball I could give the ball to one of my players who has been sacrificing their role as a regular handler of the ball. For group projects, it could look like giving fewer research roles to someone who volunteered to do more speaking responsibility in a presentation. Leaders who do not factor in the tally of sacrifices in their groups are waiting for conflicts from the team members to happen.
Why do you believe it’s important for students to get involved with their student union?
It is important for students to get involved with their student union because students are the heart of these institutions. Students are the reason institutions can function in the first place. Students should always be found at the epicenter of leadership and change, which in this case can be found in student unions. Imagine if you went to a doctor’s office with an upset stomach and said nothing to the caregivers about your issue. That situation is similar to what happens when students are not involved in their student union. You, the student, have the best idea of what is going on in the student ‘belly’ (body). Leaders that are not in communication with their students may try to troubleshoot what the problem is, but it won’t be as effective without the help of your input. They will take longer to find issues (upset stomach), or initiatives (medication, or tips for a healthier digestive system) that would be helpful for you. They might even misdiagnose the problem (like when you search up your cold symptoms on the internet and they tell you you’re dying). The student must be involved to make their institution a better place.
What one qualification do you think will make you successful in the role? Why?
My Agile Scrum Master qualification which opened me up to the rudiments of servant leadership, mentoring, active listening, facilitation, and agile leadership. It has shown me how to nurture a team to achieve exponential results. My ability to effectively manage both people and tasks makes me a people-oriented project manager and an excellent implementation lead.
How have you developed and strengthened your leadership skills?
Volunteering was my foundation! I cut my teeth in discovery, developing, and deploying my leadership skills through volunteering at diverse social impact and political initiatives from my undergraduate days both on campus and in my community. Professionally, I have worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade in diverse capacities and risen through the ranks. Since 2018, I have been the Director of Projects for a global faith-based non-profit organization championing women and youth empowerment in Nigeria. In addition, I also led the Electronic Media team for Slum2School Africa, an educational non-profit serving underserved children in Africa for 5 years. Through my leadership experience, I have learnt to navigate the politics of organizational leadership, especially the art of managing upwards in a highly bureaucratic environment to get faster approvals, including working with lean budgets and strict deadlines.
Why do you believe it’s important for students to get involved with their student union?
I believe students should get involved with their student union because it develops their leadership quotient, sharpens their political acumen, and helps them grow their empathy which is the ability to receive the viewpoints of diverse people and perspectives. It is also a great opportunity to learn and practice servant leadership which is leadership by service. Through active participation in your student union, you’d learn to work for others and achieve something bigger than yourself. Most importantly, it helps you understand and appreciate the sacrifices and labors of great people who facilitated remarkable changes throughout history.
Augustina Ngene
Lakeshore/ IGS
What one qualification do you think will make you successful in the role? Why?
As I am studying in police foundations ,it teaches me lot about leadership roles and how to tackle different kind of situations. It teaches me about diversity of Canada, which reflects in our college campus. I have lot of experiences in leadership qualities. I know how to manage events.
How have you developed and strengthened your leadership skills?
I have lot of experiences of developing and strengthening leadership skills. As I live with my friends. I use to deal with my house owner on the behalf of my friends. I use to yearly organize events at my village in Punjab, India on my own behalf with the support of my fellow villagers. I use to work on frontline.
Why do you believe it’s important for students to get involved with their student union?
Its very important for students to unite and get involved with their student union because student union is for the rights of student. If student unions are strong enough with the support of students, their rights can’t be exploited
