Community engagement is a crucial part of a student’s success because it gives an individual the opportunity to get involved, and this connection helps students in many ways, both mentally and physically. Back in my home country, I seized every chance I had to get involved with activities around my community; this has really helped me grow as a person. I have taken this same drive as an international student at Simon Fraser University (SFU) and it has helped me academically as well as with interpersonal relationships. A large part of community engagement is based on feeling comfortable in one’s surroundings; especially since the need to be settled is so important for international students.
Vancouver is a very welcoming city that is open to new ideas and provides numerous opportunities for students. The reason why I mention Vancouver specifically is because our on-campus life (whether that’s the Burnaby, Vancouver, or Surrey campus) is very different from our off-campus life. By understanding the differences between these two types of environments (on-campus vs. off-campus), students can better set their priorities before getting involved.
For example, SFU offers different platforms for students to get involved, like volunteering, mentorships, and career services, just to name a few. Personally, I have benefited from community engagement in terms of volunteering on-campus. Getting involved in the SFU community has increased my network, thus allowing me to meet people that I wouldn’t have met otherwise, and this has assisted me in both my academic and non-academic endeavours. Currently, I am an international student ambassador on-campus; this is one opportunity that I would have missed if I never took the initiative to get engaged at school. A great way for students to find exposure to these opportunities is through the International Services for Students’ office at their university, where volunteering and engagement opportunities are presented to students. Other avenues to get involved include clubs, the student society, and departmental unions.
Off-campus community engagement is another channel where students can get involved. When I arrived in Vancouver, the very first thing that I searched for was a church that I could attend; finding the right one has really helped me settle. Students who want to look for off-campus opportunities should research on ways to better communicate and connect with these associations. Just getting involved in the local community here in Vancouver has allowed me to meet so many people that have changed my outlook on life. Currently, I play soccer in a Christian league, which has been one of my greatest aspirations and enjoyments. Not only that, I’ve also stayed with the same family here for three years now, which has allowed me to connect with them on a deeper level. All the friendships that I’ve made since coming here have been possible because I took the initiative to reach out.
Sometimes, students might prefer to go a step further by ‘killing two birds with one stone’ and participating in clubs that allow them to experience on-campus and off-campus opportunities at the same time. I have friends who have started clubs on-campus and used this platform to reach out to the larger community that is off-campus. A very good example is the African Student Association on-campus, created by two of my good friends. This group has really blossomed over the past few years, especially in terms of propelling the African heritage scene in Vancouver as a whole.
Dreams do come true, but there is still a lot left for us to do. There is a saying that “no man is an island” and this quote relates well to students. I advise students to be bold and confident in themselves, because the sky is the limit. To make a difference, we need to reach out and get involved, because we all make a difference in the bigger picture.