It was a weekend full of connecting, learning, and sharing that brought together delegates from each student organization at SFU Beedie.
At the BASS Student Leadership Retreat (SLR), 75 incoming club executives participated in a variety of workshops and sessions geared to provide tools and resources to prepare for their upcoming terms. Topics included understanding core competencies and emotional intelligence, creating contingency plans, and asking the right questions to gain the context you need.
Speakers at SLR were SFU Beedie alumni, industry professionals and staff from the Beedie School of Business who engaged the delegates through facilitating discussions and sharing tips & tricks. From guidance on how to stay focused during stressful times to knowledge on how to create a collaborative culture, the overall message that the speakers provided was for delegates to make the most out of their involvement experiences.
To end off the conference, the Student Awards Gala (SAG) highlighted the achievements and contributions of the 2013/2014 executives. Past student leaders were nominated and selected for 8 awards, including inaugural awards such as Member Development and Club Sprit Award, as well as the traditional Event, Executive, and Club of the Year. This year, Young Women in Business (YWiB) SFU took home 3 awards, including Club of the Year for the second year in a row.
Behind the scenes and in the months leading to the event, the 2014/2015 BASS executives experienced an accelerated transition period of our own. We completed the essential deliverables of event planning for the first time in our new roles and as a new team. The experience we went through in preparation for SLR and SAG gave us the insight to make the weekend valuable for the club executives, and it was definitely rewarding to learn, work closely with one another, and see everything come together. It was through getting feedback, reworking, and refining to execute a successful event that we were able to begin our year with more confidence (and one event crossed off of the checklist!).
All in all, the BASS Student Leadership Retreat and Student Awards Gala accomplished key goals to set our future Beedie leaders up for success – delivering key takeaways for executives to bring back to their organizations, encouraging the pursuit of personal growth and development for the remainder of their terms, and strengthening the relationships between students to further the tight-knit community that Beedie clubs are proud to celebrate.
Jessica is a third year Beedie student pursuing a concentration in Human Resources Management. Valuing co-curricular involvement to be an essential complement to the academic experience, she has actively sought out opportunities to learn and grow at SFU Beedie. She is currently the President of the Business Administration Student Society (BASS) and has completed two Co-operative Education work terms focusing on community engagement and learning & development, respectively. She is passionate about pursuing her interests in these areas by continuing to seek enriching experiences within Beedie and the greater business community.