As my time in Saskatoon comes to an end, and I prepare to move on to my role in Toronto, I thought I would take some time to reflect back on the past three and a half years which have had such a large impact on my life and who I am today.
At Day 2 of this conference I went to my first AIESEC party. It was the second time I had ever been drunk and the first time I had ever been to a club. It was a toga party. It was fun. Although I was still fairly antisocial at this conference I met inspiring, fun people and decided that this was organization that I wanted to get more involved with. I don't think I actually learned that much at the conference itself and I still thought it was more of a cult because of all the dancing and cheering (of which I did not partake). However, when I came back to Saskatoon the first thing I did was quit my job stocking shelves at a local retail store. I wanted to do something more interesting with my life. I was inspired. I didn't know whether AIESEC was where I was going to do it, but I wanted to make my life more interesting.
This was May 2010 and I would continue to be at EB meetings until February 2013. This summer would be filled with two types of activities: doing AIESEC work and hanging out with AIESECers. The latter was primarily going camping and drinking, and making great friends along the way. Despite some near death experiences at these camping adventures I decided that these were awesome people. Instead of a shy, antisocial person I was that person who was putting a paper bag on his head and lighting it on fire for the amusement of the group (hopefully that video has been deleted).
Going to my second AIESEC conference, I was not just there to hang out and be part of the atmosphere, but I was actually learning and contributing. NOGX 2010 had 13 delegates and I am still friends with some of those people. Even though I was still a new member and still learning, I decided I would take it upon myself to overhaul our entire OGX process and start new. Somewhere along the way I decided that it would be a good idea to run for President of the local committee. I only had one year of school left, I should make the most of this organization.
Despite having my ego taken down a notch by two failed bids, I still decided that I would take a committee that sent out 2 students a year to a committee that sent out 50 per year. In the end I got 5 during my year (only 45 short!) but I also learned a lot about myself and what I was capable of. I also pissed off a fair amount of people at this point, by telling them what to do and thinking I knew better than everyone else. Earlier I had learned how to be social, now I learned how to work with people and not have them hate me (didn't always work).
This was also a time where conferences became pretty common, and in hindsight were some of the most fun conferences I attended (they're a lot more fun when you have less responsibility, enjoy them while you can!). I started getting a reputation for being a party guy and a heavy drinker. If anyone who went to high school with me heard that, they would be reasonably surprised. I left Western Canada for the first time in my life to attend NLDC in Ottawa and began to enjoy the travelling aspect of AIESEC too, even if it was just inside Canada. I may or may not have almost been kicked out of that conference for sleeping in the hotel kitchen.
It's hard to sum up that experience in only a couple paragraphs. I made friends from over 20 countries, I was busy every day, I drank copious amount of vodka, and I learned more about myself than I thought possible. I can only describe these two months as pure happiness. Me, being exactly who I wanted to be, hanging out with people I enjoyed being with, and exploring new worlds. As much fun as the socializing and drinking was, it was extraordinary to get a chance to reflect on my life and my future and just get a chance to escape everything and think for just one second.
Coming back to Saskatoon after being in Ukraine was like coming back to a whole new AIESEC chapter. Half of the EB was changed mid term and for the first time in a few years we had lots of new foreign interns in the city. This new AIESEC was filled with lots of internationalism, more parties, and a new culture that can only be described as 'Sasky Awkward'. Of course there was a lot of AIESEC work being done at this point, but I will remember this most for Poutine Party, Crash Night, Eiffel Towers, and 'Throw it on the ground!".
I think one of the coolest things I've gotten to do in AIESEC Saskatoon is stand in front of the whole membership, tell them what I think AIESEC should be, and tell them why I should lead the organization. To be judged like that is a humbling experience. Being elected was pretty cool too, but even better was seeing others within the committee step up and apply for VP and assembling my team which would define the organization next year.
Being President doesn't really mean you get to define everything, it means you have to help everyone else have their own impact and you have to be responsibility. While there was still a lot of fun, the days of AIESEC being a party were now behind me. It was time for a lot of stress, a lot of hard work, and always having to be responsible. I had enough party days in AIESEC, it was time for me to learn how to truly lead. My team was always the thing that kept me motivated. Seeing them get the same value out of AIESEC that I got when I first joined kept me awake and working til 3 AM on some nights.
Of course it wasn't all so serious. When a chance to leave Canada and go explore came up again, I had to take it. Going to International Congress in Russia allowed me to see AIESEC on a different level than I had ever seen it before. I can compare it to going to my first AIESEC conference in Winnipeg back in May 2010. Being part of the Canadian delegation made me proud to be Canadian, and while I had always wanted to go abroad next year for an MC term, it was at this point I wasn't ready to leave Canada and that I would apply for MC here.
By the end of my term, AIESEC Saskatoon had become mostly international students and mostly non-business students. When I look back to when I first joined, I remember a local committee that was full of Canadian-born business students and wanting to change that. At the end of my term I can say to myself 'mission accomplished'. Of course this would bring on a lot of new challenges and disadvantages for AIESEC Saskatoon, but it can still be a legacy that I can hang my hat on and be proud of.
Over three years of being part of AIESEC Saskatoon, building up more influence and creating more change. Now it became time to give it all away and turn it over to a new generation. I have to say it feels pretty weird to not know some of the members anymore, but it was made easier by taking my AIESEC adventure to the next level. Wanting to be part of the national committee is something that has existed since my second or third AIESEC conference (of 23 to date). So, to actually get there was a pretty extraordinary feeling.
Instead, I got to go to Singapore to meet more international AIESECers, think about what is best not only for AIESEC Saskatoon but for AIESEC Canada as a whole, and travel the world even more. I look forward to new young AIESECers for Saskatoon, converting themselves from awkward, shy people into ambitious leaders who want to change Saskatoon and undo everything that I did during my 3.5 years there.
Chapter One: Breaking Out Of The Shell
My AIESEC adventure started in my International Business class with 2 of the current VPs doing a classroom talk. This wasn't the first AIESEC talk I had seen but my prof loved AIESEC so much that the usual 2 minute pitch turned into a half hour conversation about AIESEC in my class. Since their Info Session was happening later that day and I had nothing better to do, I decided to go check it out. I would later be told that I looked so angry and so pissed off sitting in on that Info Session, which was only attended by 4 people, that they thought I was never actually going to sign up. As a result, even though I did sign up nobody contacted me for three weeks afterwards. Perhaps it was because the committee was struggling for members, but eventually I did have a meeting with a VP and was assigned a small role in the OGX portfolio.
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| NLDC 2010: First Conference |
Our OGX team was doing recruitment at the time, and our Outgoing Preparation Seminar consisted of showing our students some funny videos about cultural differences and then going out for shisha afterwards. Prior to this event, I was asked whether I wanted to be a VP next year and I of course said no because I didn't want responsibility. While at the shisha place, one of the AIESECers asked me if I wanted to come hang out and party in Winnipeg for a few days. I had nothing better to do so I said sure...this would end up being my first AIESEC conference.
At Day 2 of this conference I went to my first AIESEC party. It was the second time I had ever been drunk and the first time I had ever been to a club. It was a toga party. It was fun. Although I was still fairly antisocial at this conference I met inspiring, fun people and decided that this was organization that I wanted to get more involved with. I don't think I actually learned that much at the conference itself and I still thought it was more of a cult because of all the dancing and cheering (of which I did not partake). However, when I came back to Saskatoon the first thing I did was quit my job stocking shelves at a local retail store. I wanted to do something more interesting with my life. I was inspired. I didn't know whether AIESEC was where I was going to do it, but I wanted to make my life more interesting.
Chapter Two: Getting Involved
It just happened that our VPOGX was gone for the summer and I was invited to sit in on Executive Board meetings.
This was May 2010 and I would continue to be at EB meetings until February 2013. This summer would be filled with two types of activities: doing AIESEC work and hanging out with AIESECers. The latter was primarily going camping and drinking, and making great friends along the way. Despite some near death experiences at these camping adventures I decided that these were awesome people. Instead of a shy, antisocial person I was that person who was putting a paper bag on his head and lighting it on fire for the amusement of the group (hopefully that video has been deleted).Going to my second AIESEC conference, I was not just there to hang out and be part of the atmosphere, but I was actually learning and contributing. NOGX 2010 had 13 delegates and I am still friends with some of those people. Even though I was still a new member and still learning, I decided I would take it upon myself to overhaul our entire OGX process and start new. Somewhere along the way I decided that it would be a good idea to run for President of the local committee. I only had one year of school left, I should make the most of this organization.
Chapter Three: I Am An AIESECer
After a failed attempt to become President, and a failed bid to become VP Communications, I settled into my role as VP Outgoing Exchange. Even though I would not admit it for another 10 months, it was at this point that I decided to extend my degree into a 6th year so that I could run for President the following year.
Despite having my ego taken down a notch by two failed bids, I still decided that I would take a committee that sent out 2 students a year to a committee that sent out 50 per year. In the end I got 5 during my year (only 45 short!) but I also learned a lot about myself and what I was capable of. I also pissed off a fair amount of people at this point, by telling them what to do and thinking I knew better than everyone else. Earlier I had learned how to be social, now I learned how to work with people and not have them hate me (didn't always work).This was also a time where conferences became pretty common, and in hindsight were some of the most fun conferences I attended (they're a lot more fun when you have less responsibility, enjoy them while you can!). I started getting a reputation for being a party guy and a heavy drinker. If anyone who went to high school with me heard that, they would be reasonably surprised. I left Western Canada for the first time in my life to attend NLDC in Ottawa and began to enjoy the travelling aspect of AIESEC too, even if it was just inside Canada. I may or may not have almost been kicked out of that conference for sleeping in the hotel kitchen.
Chapter Four: Ukraine
In February 2011 a member of AIESEC Ukraine visited AIESEC Saskatoon and talked about her exchange experience. It was at this time that I remembered why I attended that first Info Session, so that I could go travel. While passing out drunk on the floor of one my team member's living room I made the decision: I'm going on exchange...and it just so happened that I would end up going to Ukraine.
It's hard to sum up that experience in only a couple paragraphs. I made friends from over 20 countries, I was busy every day, I drank copious amount of vodka, and I learned more about myself than I thought possible. I can only describe these two months as pure happiness. Me, being exactly who I wanted to be, hanging out with people I enjoyed being with, and exploring new worlds. As much fun as the socializing and drinking was, it was extraordinary to get a chance to reflect on my life and my future and just get a chance to escape everything and think for just one second.
I came back from this experience still wanting to run for President, but this time it wasn't just because I wanted to be President, it was because I knew what I wanted AIESEC to be and I wanted to make that change a reality. I can also remember this trip for giving me some great facial hair:
Chapter Five: A New AIESEC Saskatoon
Coming back to Saskatoon after being in Ukraine was like coming back to a whole new AIESEC chapter. Half of the EB was changed mid term and for the first time in a few years we had lots of new foreign interns in the city. This new AIESEC was filled with lots of internationalism, more parties, and a new culture that can only be described as 'Sasky Awkward'. Of course there was a lot of AIESEC work being done at this point, but I will remember this most for Poutine Party, Crash Night, Eiffel Towers, and 'Throw it on the ground!".
And so, being inspired by this new AIESEC and wanting to make it more like the AIESEC I saw while I was on exchange, I ran for President again.
I think one of the coolest things I've gotten to do in AIESEC Saskatoon is stand in front of the whole membership, tell them what I think AIESEC should be, and tell them why I should lead the organization. To be judged like that is a humbling experience. Being elected was pretty cool too, but even better was seeing others within the committee step up and apply for VP and assembling my team which would define the organization next year.
Chapter Six: My AIESEC
I had spent the last two years complaining about things that had gone wrong, thinking I knew better than everyone else, and thinking I had all the answers. Now the only one stopping me from making this happen was me, or so I thought.
Being President doesn't really mean you get to define everything, it means you have to help everyone else have their own impact and you have to be responsibility. While there was still a lot of fun, the days of AIESEC being a party were now behind me. It was time for a lot of stress, a lot of hard work, and always having to be responsible. I had enough party days in AIESEC, it was time for me to learn how to truly lead. My team was always the thing that kept me motivated. Seeing them get the same value out of AIESEC that I got when I first joined kept me awake and working til 3 AM on some nights. Of course it wasn't all so serious. When a chance to leave Canada and go explore came up again, I had to take it. Going to International Congress in Russia allowed me to see AIESEC on a different level than I had ever seen it before. I can compare it to going to my first AIESEC conference in Winnipeg back in May 2010. Being part of the Canadian delegation made me proud to be Canadian, and while I had always wanted to go abroad next year for an MC term, it was at this point I wasn't ready to leave Canada and that I would apply for MC here.By the end of my term, AIESEC Saskatoon had become mostly international students and mostly non-business students. When I look back to when I first joined, I remember a local committee that was full of Canadian-born business students and wanting to change that. At the end of my term I can say to myself 'mission accomplished'. Of course this would bring on a lot of new challenges and disadvantages for AIESEC Saskatoon, but it can still be a legacy that I can hang my hat on and be proud of.
Chapter Seven: Giving It All Away
Over three years of being part of AIESEC Saskatoon, building up more influence and creating more change. Now it became time to give it all away and turn it over to a new generation. I have to say it feels pretty weird to not know some of the members anymore, but it was made easier by taking my AIESEC adventure to the next level. Wanting to be part of the national committee is something that has existed since my second or third AIESEC conference (of 23 to date). So, to actually get there was a pretty extraordinary feeling.
Now I'll be off to Toronto next year to lead AIESEC Canada's Outgoing Exchange process, which makes it a bit easier to leave AIESEC Saskatoon in a way. If I was still in Saskatoon, I would be looking upon and judging the whole chapter and being that weird old alumni telling everyone how awesome the camping trips were back in my day.
Instead, I got to go to Singapore to meet more international AIESECers, think about what is best not only for AIESEC Saskatoon but for AIESEC Canada as a whole, and travel the world even more. I look forward to new young AIESECers for Saskatoon, converting themselves from awkward, shy people into ambitious leaders who want to change Saskatoon and undo everything that I did during my 3.5 years there.
But now I need to think. I spent three and a half years getting to the national committee position that I always wanted. One of the main reasons why I wanted to be President of AIESEC Saskatoon was so that I could get a shot at this position. Now I have it and that will occupy my mind for some time now, but sooner or later I'll need to make a new plan....what happens after this? National Committee Abroad? National President? AIESEC International? Working Internship?
Only time will tell I suppose....but one thing is for sure, my time in AIESEC Saskatoon is over, my time in AIESEC is not....
Randoms
Pictures are good. Here are some of my faves of my AIESEC journey that I couldn't throw in elsewhere:
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| Firefight fights during camping! |
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| Tattooing the chair at MASS 2011 |
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| Drunk in Ukraine |
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| New Years at NC2012 |
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| Howie at WRC2011 |
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| Bro-mance |
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| Violence in Ukraine |
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| Howie at WRC 2012 |
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| Ukraine friends after Tripilske Kolo |
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| Sasky Awkward |
