The first months of school, I had often asked myself if I had chosen the right school. “What if I had gone out of the province?” “What if I had gone to SFU?” “Would I have a better time, more friends, more opportunities?” These questions mostly stemmed from uncertainty and midterm stress, to which I’m sure I would feel at any other school. But today’s Comm101 lecture gave me my answer: Sauder is the right decision.
Prepping for the lecture gave me a little insight of what to expect, but meeting and hearing the alumni present made me fall in love with my school. Starting off with Paul, CEO of Tangoo, a confident presenter and clearly a professional, I thought of him as a… generic entrepreneur, somebody I would admire but know I can never become; I didn’t have the connections, the drive, nor the ambition to start my own tech-based business. The only thing we had in common was our school.
The second presenter, Tom, owner of Monarch Studios and songwriter of the Zolas, was a little more relatable. With a music background as well, I’d always dreamed of combining my passion for the music industry with business to create a career that I loved. Although what he had that I don’t is courage. He was able to let go the opportunities of working in a firm straight out of university and instead pursued what he loved with all the money he had. I figured we only had two things in common: school and music.
The third and final presenter, Jenny Duffy, Vancouver choreographer, sounded like a superwoman. She made use of her “24 useful hours” in a day (something I often forget I have) to pursue her dreams, while advancing her career. With a full resume, she is somebody I can only dream to become one day.
Having said that, it may seem as if these presenters are only the cream of the crop and that there is no use in my aspiring to become anything like them. But here is my reflective thought of the day – yes, I many not have all their skills and all their courage to pursue my dreams, but what I do have in common is one thing: Sauder. They were shaped by the skills they learned at Sauder, and supported by this community. I may not be at that level just yet, but I have faith that this school I am so proud to belong to will one day shape me to be an alumna others will aspire to be. Because the tools and opportunities are there; it’s just up to me to seize them.