By Taylor Johnson (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: January 23, 2013
Due to personnel and organizaional changes there have recently been some new faces added to the SUS board. One of those faces is the newly appointed VP east Anika Geurtsen, a fifth-year student based at the CEP Chilliwack campus.
Geurtsen may be new to SUS, but she was attracted to the opportunity to work on campus after a positive experience working at Student Life. She says she felt SUS would open learning possibilities and this education would further her future career goals.
She was elected to the SUS board of directors in the October by-election as Chilliwack representative, the new version of what used to be trades representative. Geurtsen says she has never had experience with anything quite like SUS.
“It was not what I expected [at first] and full of surprises,” she says.
After a short month of representing the students of the Chilliwack campus, Geurtsen moved into the broader position of VP east, representing the entire student body of Chilliwack. VP east holds greater responsibilities than her old position of Chilliwack rep, but Geurtsen says she felt up to the challenge and drew on the experience of those around her. On large decisions, Geurtsen explains that she “is very careful to get an expert” when she feels that a decision goes beyond her expertise.
Geurtsen, who lives in Chilliwack, says she cares deeply about where she lives and hopes that she’ll be able to help SUS power some improvements on campus, including transit issues and bringing more events to Chilliwack. Geurtsen reassures students that SUS is “working on the problems,” and that she feels the “constant board meetings” have brought executives to the same page in order to move both SUS and UFV campuses forward.
Any student is welcome to contact Geurtsen with questions or concerns to do with anything SUS through email.
