We are always meeting student leaders who are going the extra mile to make others feel welcome and build community culture on their campuses. We realized that one great way to learn from each other is to spotlight different students who have made an impact on the lives of their fellow students.
Meet Chue Yang, a student at Concordia University. He’s a Business Management major, part of the Senate Relations for Student Senate and a Student Advisor for CHUSA on campus. We asked him about when he first felt most involved and how he involves new students.
What was the first moment you felt you belonged at your school?
On my first day of school, I had no friends and didn’t know anyone. The first time I felt like I belonged was when an upperclassmen reached out to me and invited me to hang out at their dorm. That was a moment that really helped me come out of my little bubble and meet many people.
Have you ever helped someone go from a neutral to more engaged?
Yes, I have. Last year, I was the public relations for CHUSA. That role really made me go out and introduce myself to encourage others to come and participate in our events. I remember one person who I would always ask to come to events and they never came but by the end of the year, they ended up coming around more and eventually ran for the executive board.
Have you ever had a difficult time connecting with a student but eventually got them engaged in the community?
I was an RA during my sophomore year and at the beginning it was very difficult to get my residents to come out to the events. Throughout the year, as I got to know each and every one of them, they started to come out more and interact with myself and other residents.
What kind of roles have you had that helped you step out of your comfort zone?
