Be adaptable. That’s Eileen’s top tip to be a successful student monitor at UBC Future Global Leaders.
The second-year UBC biology student from Saskatoon loved interacting with eager and ambitious students from all over the world and embraced the varied aspects of her role as a student monitor. “Every day brought new challenges. Being a monitor at FGL helped me develop my adaptability skills and pushed me to think on my feet.”
Eileen appreciated that she had a team to support her every step of the way. “Knowing that there are always people there to help and support you is a comforting feeling and has helped me develop trust in others.” Eileen intends to carry this positive team experience into her personal and professional life going forward.
For Eileen one of the highlights was seeing students blossom over the course of the program. Understandably, students are often a bit uncertain when they begin Future Global Leaders. Eileen says, “It’s quite a feeling to see students walk out not only with new friends but with newfound confidence.”
Best memory of FGL 2023: Working with and learning from the students and my peers.
For Ezra, who grew up in New Zealand and Vancouver, one of the best things about being a student monitor at FGL was meeting people from diverse cultural and academic backgrounds. It was fascinating to learn about different perspectives and worldviews, not to mention learning new words from other languages.
Working with such a diverse group of students, Ezra discovered that strong interpersonal skills were a huge asset. “An FGL monitor will encounter plenty of unanticipated situations. I soon realized that I would never be able to anticipate everything, and instead found it more beneficial to develop my interpersonal skills and social flexibility.”
Now in his third year at McGill University pursuing a double major in music and political science, Ezra looks back at the connections he formed with students and colleagues as the most fulfilling aspect of the FGL experience. “It was good to feel the support of my team members and to know that someone always had my back.”
Best memory of FGL 2023: Providing encouragement and support to a reluctant student and fellow musician to perform in the FGL talent show – and then watching her deliver a stellar performance!
Spending the summer as a student monitor with UBC Future Global Leaders was a “full circle moment” for Sophia, who attended the program as a student in 2018.
Now in her fourth year of a business degree at UBC, Sophia credits FGL for helping her decide what university to attend and introducing her to different teaching styles and student life. “I didn't realize how small my worldview truly was until my experience here.”
Returning as a monitor gave Sophia the chance to pay it forward, supporting students as they met and connected with peers from all over the world, challenged their own limits and grew in unexpected ways.
Sophia reflects that as a monitor she has grown too, developing a range of interpersonal skills she will carry forward. “I learned valuable lessons about teamwork and conflict resolution. I was exposed to unique perspectives that have strengthened my ability to adapt to a spectrum of work environments.”
Best memory of FGL 2023: Witnessing all the personal transformations, like the student who observed that attending FGL was the first time they were able to push themselves to talk to so many people.
Exciting. Challenging. Meaningful. For Sophie, being a student monitor at UBC Future Global Leaders was all this and more.
Sophie, who is originally from Kazakhstan and currently working on a double major in Human Biology and Psychology at the University of Toronto, considered it an absolute privilege to share her experiences with the students at FGL and hopefully inspire them to follow their dreams. “It has been one of the best experiences of my student years, for sure. I felt I was a part of positive change and contributed to something big and amazing, like shaping someone’s path.”
As a former FGL student, Sophie knew the program could influence students profoundly and dreamed of returning as a monitor one day. “FGL gave me hope, a reason to continue working hard towards my goals. It helped me see all the incredible possibilities and opportunities ahead of me.”
Coming back as a monitor was not only unbelievably rewarding, but it also pushed Sophie to sharpen her leadership, communication and problem-solving skills. Fortunately, there was a team of supportive colleagues she could lean on and learn from. “I’ve gained so many transferable skills and feel prepared for any situation or crisis – in the best way possible.”
Best memory of FGL 2023: The community created and friendships formed in such a short period of time.