On Wednesday Oct 22th 2014, UBC Okanagan hosted their annual MES Reception in the UNC Ballroom. This event was a gathering of many new and old MES recipients, faculty Deans and staff representatives. As I observed everything that went on at the event, it was wonderful to see these Scholars having this unique opportunity to meet and interact with other fellow Scholars and key faculty & staff members.
During the reception, Dr. Deborah Buszard was one of the people who made a speech. One thing that she touched upon and became a very memorable take-home point for me was that much of UBC’s reputation is built upon the success of our students, and providing supports to these MES Scholars are especially important because they will probably be the people who will go into the society to make impactful changes. Therefore as faculty and staff at UBC, the work we do not only impact our students, but on a bigger scale, it will impact the future of UBC and the future of our world. Sounds kind of big, but it’s true that no matter how big or small you believe you are at the University; it is still part of the bigger picture.
Andrew Pipke, one of this year’s MES recipients was also invited to make a short speech. In his speech, he mentioned that he was extremely happy when he first received the news regarding his scholarship. He said that receiving the MES award was really big deal for him because it will allow him to focus on extra-curricular and volunteering opportunities because he does not have to worry too much about his financial situation.
Thanks to the coordination between the SS&FS Office and the Ceremonies & Event Office, I think the turn out of this year’s MES Reception was a success.
