The importance of out-of-classroom experiences

Busy would be an understatement when it comes to how Samantha Allan spent the summer of 2022. As Co-Event Lead for RockVIU 2022 new student orientation, the fourth-year Bachelor of Business Administration student spent the summer organizing a series of events and activities for incoming students to help them feel part of the university community. She also found time to participate in a national youth summit, where her team’s case study took home first prize. Here’s why Samantha makes time for activities outside the classroom, and what’s next when she graduates next spring.

Tell us a bit about you.

I would like to humbly acknowledge the Snuneymuxw and Hul’q’umin’um’-speaking Peoples, upon whose traditional, unceded territory I am grateful to live and study at VIU. I am Neskonlith from the Secwepemc Nation by my father and of British Isles settler decent by my mother’s family. I’ve grown up all over the province of BC, from Vancouver to Williams Lake, Ahousaht to Sechelt, Chemainus to Nanaimo. My father is a retired RCMP officer, my mother is an artist, and I have a hilarious, beautiful and talented younger sister named Alicia.

Why did you choose VIU?

VIU was a natural choice for me right out of high school. I wanted to study criminology and become a police officer like my dad. I used VIU’s Dual Credit program to take first-year crim courses while I was still in Grade 11 and 12. Later, after living in northern Alberta for a time, I moved home and to be close to my family while taking VIU’s Fundamentals of Engineering Certificate. After deciding that engineering wasn’t the best fit for my natural aptitudes or my aspirations, I chose VIU again for my business degree because of the intimate class sizes, multiculturalism and strong sense of community.

Why is getting involved on campus important to you?

As I gained traction in building my out-of-the-classroom experiences at VIU, I began to feel empowered by a stronger sense of self and purpose in my studies. I’ve been involved with VIU’s Office of Co-Curricular Engagement and Learning for more than two years now. I have also sat on two VIU Senate Standing Committees as an independent representative: the Indigenous Commitments Committee and the Committee on Sexual Violence Training, Education and Prevention (STEP). Getting involved on campus beyond my studies was eye-opening in so many ways, and I learned that my voice and my actions carry a special weight at VIU. This institution really values student inclusion, equity and advocacy. I was able to exercise the concepts and ideas that I was learning in class, gain valuable applied skills for my career experience, and I was welcomed into a community of students and faculty that share my drive and values.

Tell us about the CANDO Youth Summit.

The Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO) licenses professional and technician Indigenous economic development officers and is an industry leader in Indigenous economic development across Canada. I’ve been a student member for about a year and applied to the Youth Economic Development Summit earlier this summer. The Summit receives between 150-200 applicants every year, so it was a great honour to be selected as one of only 50 successful delegates. The summit offered us comprehensive and intensive training in Indigenous economic development, including course credit from CANDO’s partner institution, Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, as well as first-hand experience of the impressive strides being made in Indigenous communities to reclaim economic sovereignty. We were hosted by the Tsuut’ina Peoples of the Dene Nation in Alberta, who graciously shared their insights and successes in economic development, as well as their culture and traditions.

During the conference, your case study won first place.

I was so impressed by the depth and involvement demanded by us for this project, as we had only three short days to complete an entire economic development project and presentation that met seven unique criteria and answered four primary concepts: land management, environmental impacts, economic sustainability, and social and cultural implications.

What advice did you give first year students at RockVIU this year?

Get involved! Becoming involved at VIU and in my community has revolutionized my student experience and opened so many incredible opportunities to me. Don’t wait until you’re in your third or fourth year to start asking what you can contribute and offering your skills and aptitudes to those around you. Growth happens just as much outside of the classroom as it does inside, and many of those experiences make you a stronger student and a more capable prospect for employment in the future. Be diligent, be relentless, be resilient and never give up – failure is one of our best teachers. One of the most resounding pieces of advice that I’ve ever received went something like this: hardly anyone will remember how or why you fell, but everyone will remember when and how you chose to get up.

What’s next for you?

My LSAT, which I booked for this November. I haven’t completely committed to the idea of being a lawyer, and I am more interested in corporate law than criminal law, despite my early aspirations of becoming a police officer, but law is an excellent compliment to my business undergrad and would equip me with the legislative foundation that many of my career goals encompass. I am looking for the intersection between my passions and my aptitudes, while also ensuring that whatever career path I choose, it has an important impact and fosters positive change. At times it feels lofty and abstract, but I am confident that if I cannot find this space, I will create it.

To finish, can you give us three random facts about yourself?

• I love to travel alone and so I’ve been to some beautiful countries – Norway, Denmark, India, Israel and others – where I’ve learned some of the most beautiful lessons from truly inspiring young people who pushed me to be the best version of myself.
• I moved to northern Alberta by myself at 18, secured a job that I was completely underqualified for but ended up being great at, and made a massive group of true friends and mentors, which became a big internal motivator for me.
• My first pet when I moved out of my parents’ house was an emperor scorpion (her name was Andy, short for Andromeda, because I love space, astronomy and mythology).