I’m Donald, and I’m a 3rd year KIN student in the interdisciplinary stream. I really like the outdoors and outdoor recreation. I’m into road cycling, kayaking, hiking, skiing and rock climbing. I’m a member of the Varsity Outdoors Club as well as UBC recreation.
I have to say I had a great experience on my Imagine Day. So much that it inspired me to give that energy back to the KIN student body. I have a lot of spirit (some would call me loud!) and I felt like I’d be a perfect candidate to excite and inspire others so I became an Orientation Leader (OL). A leader is someone who is confident in their abilities, someone who can stay organized, and has good knowledge of their responsibilities. Serving in the OL role really gave me the opportunity to share my first year experience as a KIN student and help others along on their journey.
As an OL, I learned that it’s okay to feel awkward when first interacting with people. As a leader you won’t always be comfortable, but learning to overcome that feeling and knowing that you’re making a difference to a new student’s life at UBC is a nice feeling. Serving as an orientation leader taught me how much of an impact you can have on a student’s first university experience. If you show them that you are enjoying university, it will encourage them to enjoy it as well. For instance, a few first-years were anxious about classes, and especially midterms. I let them know that midterms do not define them as individuals. But neither did I sugar coat the amount of work they’d need to put in, which I think they appreciated.
I found that the energy and atmosphere created on Imagine Day was unlike any other experience I’ve had. And the community and friends you make while working as an Orientation Leader is phenomenal. I encourage others to experience this once in a life time opportunity and sign up to have your turn as an Orientation Lead!