Ashley McDougall is a former president and vice president external of the Student Union Society (SUS). She has worked in advocacy, student leadership, and helped implement the fall reading break in 2023. McDougall shared with the The Cascade how it felt to receive this year’s honour after being nominated by Economics Associate Professor Dr. Michael Batu and former UFV President Dr. Joanne MacLean.
Every year, the Alumni Association awards one student with the annual Outstanding Student Leader award. The recipient receives $1000 and is recognized for exceptional leadership at the university in areas like community service, mentorship, and demonstrating courage and selflessness.
What program did you study at UFV?
I did a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Political Science and I also completed a certificate in Advanced French Proficiency. I’ve always had an interest in politics, particularly, B.C. and Canadian politics … my time at UFV was amazing, because class sizes [were] small, you really get to know your professors, and they help so much with opportunities. I got to do a directed study on the carbon tax in B.C., which was a cool way to blend what I was learning in school with my interest in policy in B.C.
…Now, after grad, I’m a constituency advisor for an MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] in Langley, and a lot of my work is advocating for our constituents and working with ministries to resolve issues that constituents are running into with provincial services. So it’s been a cool way to bridge my passion for advocacy with my interest in politics provincially.
What was the experience like for you winning the Outstanding Student Leader award?
“It was a huge honour to receive the Outstanding Student Leader Award. It’s an award run by the Alumni Association at UFV … I was humbly nominated by one of my profs and by [Dr. Joanne MacLean]. I know they must have had the most amazing applicants. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy choice for the award team [to decide]. I know there are so many other students who are so involved in the community and doing amazing things, so it was a real honour to be selected for the award.”
What advocacy work with SUS were you nominated for?
Being involved at SUS gave me a strong sense of purpose, because I was able to elevate the voices of my peers at the provincial and federal level, both when I was VP external and president. I participated in advocacy weeks, both in Victoria and Ottawa, where myself and other student leaders got to bring forward student priorities such as funding for mental health services on campus, and we were successful in securing a $500 million fund from the federal government for campus mental health services.
The fall reading break was probably my favourite advocacy project that I worked on at SUS. I’m very thankful to the UFV administrators who were open to hearing the student voice and working with students, particularly myself and the SUS team, to make sure that students had that support for mental health in the fall semester … I did two presentations to Senate, and after the second one, they did vote to implement a fall reading break; which is incredible. And I think it’s a huge help to students’ mental health in the fall semester.
What have you learned from your experience in leadership?
The biggest thing I have learned is to not be afraid to speak up. It might be surprising [but] I’m naturally a quieter person, especially if I’m in a room with a lot of loud people … it can be easy to be quiet but that’s something I really had to learn … It’s important [for] a leader to know when to speak up, but also to not be afraid to [do so].
What advice would you give students interested in pursuing politics?
My biggest piece of advice is to get involved, whether it’s getting involved in politics or at SUS. Even if it’s a bit intimidating at first, just run for the position at SUS that you’re thinking about … don’t be afraid to put yourself out there.”
What would you like to do in the future?
I’m currently in the process of preparing to write the LSAT for law school … I’m excited about where that journey may lead, but I’m not set on any particular path there. During my time at SUS, I developed such a passion for both advocacy [and] the government relations side of advocacy … Working in government relations to help bridge people’s voices and stories with policymakers is something that I would love to do one day as well.
Interview edited for length and clarity.
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.