Presidential Update - March 2017

Hi Everyone.

Well another month has come and gone and as per usual it was a busy one for us at OUSA. This was excitingly a month of celebration while simultaneously being a month of goodbyes. But as with any organization, leaders and mentors come and go but the organization keeps moving forward. With only a month and a bit left in my term it also begins my time to say goodbye to OUSA. But that doesn’t mean our year is over quite yet. There is still much to achieve and more goals to accomplish.

Just a couple days ago we hosted our annual Partners in Higher Education Dinner in Toronto. As always, this was a wonderful evening to celebrate our successes from the year and look towards the future of the post-secondary education sector in Ontario. This night showcased the incredible partners that we have in the sector both in the government and our stakeholders. I like to thank all those in attendance for what was an excellent evening full of great conversations and cold drinks. Also, a large thank you to Julie Lalonde, our keynote speaker, and Minister Deb Matthews. Both of you were wonderful guests and speakers during the evening program and I am thankful for the work that you both do for the betterment of Ontario students.

Unfortunately we only have a few days left with our fearless leaders and executive director Zak Rose. Being an ED at OUSA is not an easy job. It requires a balance in patience, leadership, and the ability to mentor and coach. Zak has been an invaluable resource and over my three years at OUSA has grown to become a very close friend. From all at OUSA, Zak we will miss you and there will always be a place here for you.

In a time of many goodbyes I am happy to also say hello and welcome a new individual to the OUSA team. OUSA is happy to welcome Danny Chang as our summer research intern. Danny has a wealth of experience in being a delegate at OUSA general assemblies and we are so excited to have him join us for the summer.

In the next month, SC will continue to wrap up the year and will have final meetings while continuing to work towards our priorities. We will also be anxiously awaiting the release of the 2017 provincial budget and we hope that there is going to be a variety of outcomes which will better the lives of students in Ontario.

Until next time!

Stay OUSAwesome

Jamie