Nikiel Lal has served as SUS president for two terms that began in 2021. Lal has been advocating and working to help grow community engagement as well as creating positive experiences for students at UFV. Lal began attending UFV in 2021, after transferring from Douglas College. During his first semester he ran for and successfully won the SUS president election. As he nears the end of his program, Lal looks back on his journey at SUS and UFV.
“I had completed my diploma in Sports Science at Douglas, and I thought it was time for a change,” said Lal. “UFV sounded like a great school. I took a leap of faith, and it was the best decision I could have made.”
During his two-year journey as SUS president, Lal reflected that he was inspired to run for the governance position because he wanted to dedicate one more year to work in governance and make a difference for the student body.
“I felt I had the experience and skills to be successful in the role. I thought I could make a big difference, so I just ran and hoped for the best and ended up doing two terms and loved it…[it] was the motivation to continue to make a positive impact.”
Lal said that speaking to other students, finding out what types of issues the student body was experiencing, and working with SUS to find solutions to help improve students’ university experiences were among the good memories he had as SUS president.
“KickBack was the highlight for me because that was an event that I proposed, had a vision for, and created and it was something that I’ll never forget,” said Lal “…Seeing it come to life was a feeling that was indescribable and sharing that with all the students and hearing how much they loved it is something that will stay with me forever.”
Over the course of his two terms, Lal has advocated for more student engagement and made it one of his primary goals to make their post secondary experience as enjoyable and memorable as possible. He also committed to working towards a governance that is supportive of students’ well-being.
When asked what legacy he hoped to leave behind, Lal replied, “I just want students to know that I did everything I could to really enhance their post secondary experience and that during my time, a lot of things changed, and we were able to grow campus culture and community in a way that will continue to expand after my time…I did my best to also advocate for students and I just hope that my impact was felt.”
“I think that continuing forward, it would be amazing to just keep watching SUS grow. Grow those programs and services and provide more to our student body, even in advocacy, because there’s a lot of potential.”
When asked what advice he would give to the next SUS president, Lal said “be passionate, be excited, and be open minded.”
Lal thinks it’s important to be open minded with every type of problem or issue that occurs especially in the role of SUS president.
“I think the biggest thing I’ve learned during my time is [to] expect anything in this role. Every day is a brand new day and you honestly don’t know what you’re going to expect.” Lal explained that as SUS president, there is an element of unpredictability in how the week can play out due to various factors. He said that there are a lot of “moving pieces” which include supporting the student body and that students are involved with several different commitments such as programs of study, clubs, and athletics to name a few.
“We’re in a very diverse place and being open minded is really what’s gonna help you be successful in this role and best serve our student population.”
Lal also mentioned that between Jan. 16-20, students will have the opportunity to vote on an ordinary resolution motion by SUS to transfer $300,000 from their health and dental surplus account into the account for clubs and associations. Lal explained that this transfer of money is necessary because in order to launch and maintain their Q-pay funding system, the money has to be put into the other account. Lal mentioned that this will enable more student run events to take place and it will also help clubs and associations to expand.
For Lal, a student’s post secondary experience is dependent on what they make out of it. He encourages students to become involved in what they are most passionate about because it will help mold who they become as people.
“[This] allows you to really find the most value and meaning not just in university but in your own life, and I think it’ll really help shape everything you want to do in your future career.”
“Don’t be afraid to say no, embrace opportunity and challenge and enjoy the ride because it’s a very beautiful journey,” Lal added.
After graduating, Lal hopes to support and advocate for good mental and physical health on a national scale. Lal would like to work at Physical Health and Education Canada as they support people by giving them good resources to lead healthy lives. Lal said that once he attains this, he wants to “run for government.”
“I think that if you just take a chance on yourself and what’s in front of you; there’s [just] so much to grab and hold on to.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
