UNews - Humane Society

Experiencing as much as possible

trevor.kenney — Mon, 16 May 2011 20:26:03 +0000

International exchange student Radek Eryk Bachorz might not yet know where he's going to end up, but it's safe to say it'll be an interesting ride getting there.

The 26-year-old native of Poland is completing his fourth year of study at the U of L, turning what was initially a one-year exchange opportunity into an entirely new life with no apparent boundaries.

"I'm trying to keep the broad perspective on everything," says Bachorz when asked about his career aspirations. "Having a narrow goal isn't the best for me, it's about having wide horizons and looking for something that will really be satisfying, not necessarily profitable at first, but will put a smile on my face and make me happy to go to work every day."

Polish exchange student Radek Eryk Bachorz has made the most of his opportunities at the U of L.

Currently studying international management with minors in supply chain management and social responsibility, Bachorz actually already has a master's degree. He completed his master's in Investment and Corporate Financial Strategies in August 2010 from Poznan ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Economics in Poland, a degree supplemented by his exchange work here at the U of L.

But Bachorz's experience is about so much more than the classroom, something he only discovered after finishing his master's and took another look at his education.

"After completing my degree, I got really involved in student life last year," says Bachorz. "I totally changed my way of attending school, where I realize it's not only about getting good marks, it's also about extra-curricular activities."

His involvement with the Faculty of Management's JDC West business case competition was the impetus.

"My co-captains, Jill Morrison and Travis Letwin, put me in this different world and opened my eyes on new opportunities," he says. "I really wanted to give something back to the Alberta community, but there were too many things taking up my time, and I was really determined to finish my degree back in Europe. Last fall I decided to focus a bit less on being outstanding academically to try and get more involved in non-academic activities."

He volunteered for YWCA Lethbridge and the Humane Society, helped out the Management International Programs Office as a mentor in their buddy program, participated in the International Centre for Students (ICS) Cultural Expo and was keen to assist at various faculty functions such as Management Preview Day. This past spring he spent a week hustling change outside the Students' Union as one of the 5 Days for the Homeless participants and gladly had his head shaved (for the fourth straight year) as a supporter of the Head Shave for Cancer initiative.

"When I had the opportunity to take less of a course load, I knew this is what I wanted to do," says Bachorz. "It's not just about the GPA, it's also about getting
involved and participating in the student life."

He credits the U of L culture for helping him thrive in his new country, and gives thanks to both the ICS (especially Charlene Janes) and the International Exchange program in the Faculty of Management (specifically Andrea Amelinckx, Rhonda Crow and Gizelle Tiponut) for helping in his transition.

"Honestly, after the first semester, I was so impressed with how approachable everybody was," he says. "It's a very practical atmosphere here, so many small groups, you can really go to your prof or any faculty or staff member and you'll be treated as a valuable student, not just one of a thousand.

"After just a few semesters I found you would be called by name in the hallways and that was very surprising to me. I had never seen anything like that before. You are really treated as a person here, not just someone known by their Student ID number, who is coming to get a degree and leaving the university unnoticed."

When exactly he'll finish his degree, he's not sure. Right now he's looking to secure a job on campus to stay in Lethbridge for the summer. Beyond that, he will continue to learn and look to make an impact, wherever that may lead him.

"Education is the best investment," says Bachorz. "I have learned so many valuable things from people I've met. The relationships you make are invaluable. You guys in Canada are so supportive. It is great to be given such an amazing opportunity to live and study here."

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Volunteer Fair shows students care

trevor.kenney — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 14:09:05 +0000

Working on the premise that recruiting a volunteer might be as simple as providing the opportunity, ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge management student Jody Roetman had an idea. Some 10 months later, that idea spawned what promises to be an ongoing relationship between ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ students and volunteer agencies throughout southern Alberta.

The inaugural U of L Volunteer Fair, held Sept. 17 in the Atrium, proved to be a rousing success as students attended in droves, proving that activism is more than just an ideal on campus.

"The students really seemed to respond well. They were engaged and genuinely interested in how they could become involved," Roetman says. "I know the faculty at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ were incredibly supportive and really pushing students to attend.

"I had always thought that students would like to get out and volunteer and this was just an outlet for them."

The 22-year-old Edmonton native is in her fifth year at the U of L, completing a BA in history and BMgt in marketing. Interested in volunteering in the community, she found it difficult to get started. Were it not for her diligence, a local agency would have lost an opportunity to engage a young volunteer. Roetman decided to try and do something to take away the hurdles she encountered.

"I wanted to get involved but I wasn't quite sure how. I didn't know what groups were out there, I didn't know how to get in touch with them, what questions to ask or even the types of things that I would be doing for a specific agency," she says.
"I wanted to bring all the organizations to students so we could remove that lack of information barrier. There are so many wonderful agencies in Lethbridge and so many opportunities to get
involved. I think it's a shame students don't participate more, and one of the big reasons is they don't know what's out there."

Her instincts were bang on, although it took a little wrangling to get local agencies to buy into the concept.

"One of the bigger challenges was encouraging the agencies to believe that we could help them," she says. "I think they may have had the perception that students talk about putting on something like this and getting involved but maybe they don't see the action behind the words."

A total of 30-plus agencies eventually took part in the fair and given the contacts they made, it's a sure bet as many or more will be back next year.

"We already work quite closely with students who are history majors, for example, but I was able to connect with students in management, education, and arts courses who had not thought of us as an opportunity to acquire skills and give back to the community," Galt Museum & Archives Special Events and Volunteer Coordinator Lori Harasem says.

"We had a total of 38 students sign up for more information, and about two dozen more take information home to think about. We also had interest from some faculty members and staff who are soon to retire. It was a wonderful opportunity and we did as much PR in one day as we would normally get in about six months without the fair."

Roetman pushed the concept that volunteering is not a one-way benefit; that students can help while also enhancing their studies and experience.

"The job market is highly-competitive. Employers are looking for people who are committed. I think that community involvement shows a sense of commitment. Even if it's being a big brother or big sister, walking dogs for the Humane Society, there's some form of commitment there and I think employers see the value in that," Roetman says.

Her best example is the volunteer marketing work she does for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Lethbridge.
"I wanted to show
students you can volunteer in such a way that you can gain real-life experience and professional skills."

When Roetman graduates, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's Registrar's Office is expected take over the event.

With the success of the inaugural Fair still resonating, the bond created between students and local volunteer agencies should only strengthen over time.

UNews - Humane Society

Experiencing as much as possible

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Volunteer Fair shows students care

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