Hey!
My name is Jacob Marinelli, I use he and him pronouns, and I am currently the Commissioner of External Affairs for the Alma Mater Society (AMS) of Queen’s University. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a member of OUSA’s Steering Committee this year and look forward to representing my peers.
To start, I feel like I should explain how I got to where I am today. Originally from Barrie, Ontario, I am a first-generation university student who is extremely lucky to have such an amazing friend and family support system around me to help me reach where I am today. This past year I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Life Sciences with a specialization in Biomedical Sciences. Although I am extremely fortunate for the education I obtained throughout my degree, I quickly realized that the opportunities within the extracurricular space at Queen’s truly defined Queen’s as my home.
I quickly found throughout my time at university that advocacy and working with my peers was a passion of mine. I found that the intersections between medicine and advocacy were an immense priority for me and was fortunate to work with many other student leaders to improve the equity efforts within this field.
Throughout my time in Orientation, I was able to work with thousands of students and promoted a welcoming space for them on our campus. Through being involved with Orientation for three years, I was able to collaborate with many different faculties as well as students with diverse backgrounds. Additionally, by working on a variety of other groups, I was able to support the Canadian Cancer Society, represent the Class of 2021, as well as work to improve online accessibility for students through course creation.
Moving into this year, I hope to be an active leader on campus while listening to student concerns. Through working with OUSA this year, I look to advocate on behalf of the Queen’s student body and students across Ontario to positively impact our campus. It is crucial that as student leaders we continue to use our voices to bring positive change to our campus. I look forward to working with such passionate student leaders this year.
Best,
Jacob Marinelli (He/Him)
Commissioner of External Affairs – Alma Mater Society of Queen’s University