Some responsibilities of the Welcome Week Coordinator include; facilitating the welcoming of first years and transfer students, organizing faculty events during welcome week, and training BHSc student representatives known as “Pathogens”.

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Why am I running?

 

One of the key factors to running in this election is being able to give back to the Health Sciences community that has provided me with an endless amount of positive nurturing experiences. I know that this position will allow me to grow on a much deeper level and give more direction to my path. I am not yet committed to healthcare and would like to uptake opportunities that allow me to explore my passions for entrepreneurship and networking.

 

Who is this guy???

 

Besides the fact that I am in my 2nd year of Health Sciences and specializing in Child Health, I am a 6ft tall man (a whole unit) born and raised in Mississauga. My passions include cooking, baking, writing poetry, singing, and dancing – especially in the mirror and before showers. I absolutely love to go on spontaneous adventures with new and old friends alike. If you’ve seen me around, you probably know that I am a very extroverted person, generally always smiling and full of energy. I love talking to others and positively adding onto their day – it gives me energy! Please feel free to reach out to me in person or over social media.

 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AjayForWWC

Instagram: @ajaygandhi_

I’m running to be WWC because my first-year Welcome Week experience is what turned my perception of McMaster from a university to a home; I want to pay this experience forward by supporting first-years and fellow reps throughout the Week and continuing later into the year.

My main goal as WWC would be to increase pathogen-first year bonding throughout the year to help maintain the relationships formed during welcome week and provide the incoming class with our continuous support! Examples of this could be board game nights, skating, and campfires – these could be in collaboration with the incoming first year council.

Additionally, I wish to expand the “You, Me, BHSc” event by opening an anonymous question form regarding any concerns the incoming class may have during the summer before Welcome Week. Therefore, these questions can be answered at the event even if they are not asked in-person.

Finally, I would keep the executive positions that were recently created so that there is a focus on multiple aspects of Welcome Week. I would place further emphasis on the Wellness Executive roles to better advocate for student well-being during a very exciting and sometimes overwhelming time. I’d also try to maintain the pathogen-bonding that was established during the most recent Welcome Week since a close team makes for a better week!

Every student comes into BHSc with different lived experiences, hopes, and fears, however, there is one thing that unites us all; we are all members of the BHSc Community! Welcome Week is a vital time in which incoming students begin to discover what our community means to them. My hope is that through this role, I would be able to ensure all students feel at home in the Wolfpack.

 

My campaign is built on three pillars, each of which encompasses the things I hope to advocate for if elected. Below you’ll find a very brief overview of my platform, but you can check out my Facebook page for a more detailed plan!
 

1. Inclusivity
   ✨Accessibility prioritized
   ✨Diverse Pathogen team to reflect BHSc’s diverse student population
   ✨Interfaculty Events
   ✨Training with involvement from EIO, PCC, Maccess, SACHA, and WGEN
    

2. Transparency
   ✨Clear expectations and decision-making process for Pathogen selection
   ✨BHSc Queries revamp, including addition of subcommittee
   ✨BHSc-wide feedback and actually implementing it
    

3. Support
   ✨ Defined plan for year-round support for first-years
   ✨ New and improved Wellness Wagon/Tent to prioritize self-care for Reps and first-years
   ✨ Peer support training for the whole Pathogen Team
   ✨ Emphasis on combating ‘Welcome Week Culture’ (no sleep, no breaks, etc.)

Although I really enjoyed my WW experience as a first year, I found that being involved in the behind-the-scenes aspects as a Pathogen gave me a new appreciation for the event. Being able to participate and give input within the team left me feeling much more engaged and excited, which is what made my second WW experience so special.

 

As a WWC, I’d want to share this feeling with the first years and reinforce it within the Pathogen team. I want to increase the involvement of Pathogens when planning WW events and rep training. I would also like to revamp the way we communicate with first years by creating a larger social media presence, specifically on Instagram. Drawing inspiration from other faculties at McMaster, I would like to use this page to post updates throughout the summer, cheer tutorials to create more hype for WW, and create a centralized platform where the WW schedule can be easily accessed. By engaging more first years and Pathogens in the weeks leading up to WW, more people would get the chance to feel a greater sense of connection to events and we would get a head start on building the sense of community that is so special in BHSc.