When I first started at OUSA over 4.5 years ago, I could have never imagined the journey it would take me on. I came in the starry-eyed post-grad, with a lot of eagerness and excitement, ready to take on all that post-secondary policy had to offer. I’m leaving with that same eagerness and excitement, but now it’s because I know how incredible Ontario’s student leaders are and where they are taking advocacy.
Over the years, I have had the pleasure of interacting with hundreds of students and stakeholders. I’ve supported a number of policy papers, speeches, presentations and government submissions. While these are the primary tools that I’ve worked on with students, I rarely hear back from them about how proud they are of the end product. They always remember the experience of working on these things together. And that’s what I want my goodbye blog to be about - the importance of kindness in leadership.
At the root of doing this is empathy. We have to be able to get out of our heads, see the other person for what they are going through, understand their thinking, and use that to inform our response. OUSA’s President, Sayak, wrote a powerful blog that explores this more and it is a piece I deeply resonate with. In order to be effective leaders, we need to be good listeners. When we’re good listeners, we communicate well. When we communicate well, we can work together to accomplish our goals effectively. And when we do that, we can be amazing, well-rounded advocates.
In both my roles as a Research and Policy Analyst and Executive Director, I have witnessed first-hand how transformative kindness can be. Student advocacy and leadership can be extremely tumultuous. It’s a time that can cause so much stress and anxiety, and I think it would feel easier if we were all just a little kinder to one another. There’s a saying that people remember the way you make them feel, and over the years, I have received some very sweet messages that prove this. It’s never, “thank you for your help on the student financial aid policy!” but rather “thank you for creating a safe space.” To that end, you need kindness in leadership in order to get to effective policy and advocacy. You need to build trust, positive relationships, and open communication so that the work you give back to students comes from a clear head, critical thinking, and an equitable approach. I worked and led with these principles and that is how I was able to truly live, laugh, love, and lobby at OUSA.
Now, for some thank-yous of my own:
- To every elected official, political staff member, or civil servant - thank you for your willingness to engage with students and listen to their concerns.
- To every stakeholder we work with - thank you for all you do to help students in the province and for your wonderful partnership.
- To our external contractors - thank you for helping OUSA on the backend, you play a big role in making our organization what it is.
- To the students - thank you for your passion and determination to improve your educational experience. Hearing your stories during our campus visits always reaffirmed the necessity of this work.
- To our alumni - thank you for your constant support and guidance, you are the reason why this community is so special.
- To all SC’s during my time - 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26 - thank you for your brilliance and dedication to helping OUSA grow and be better.
- To all my Presidents - Jessica, Vivian, Michelle, and Sayak - thank you for your patience, grace, and care as we navigated all the stressful and wonderful times together, I am so proud to have worked with all of you.
- And lastly, to all my fellow Home Office members past and present - Eddy, Britney, Chisanga, Irum, Shemar, Octave, Ananya, Tiffany, Abi, and Tobi - thank you for the music (my ABBA reference, for the playlists), conversations to fill all our car rides (and ensuing duets), your hard work, faith in me, and all the fun, chaotic moments…I don’t think a day went by that I didn’t laugh here. It’s been an absolute joy and you are all superstars.
In the grand scheme of life, 4.5 years may seem like nothing, but when it’s the first 4.5 years of your career - it’s everything. So much has happened since I started my career here and I’m grateful that I have many fond memories with OUSA (and an album with about 1,600 photos to support that).
From the late-night policy rewrite sessions at General Assembly (aided by a little delusion), to the energy I got to see from countless students doing our trivia at a campus visit, to all the last-minute preparation of key messages for a press release, it has been the role(s) of a lifetime.
At this moment I’d also like to honour and acknowledge the late Stephanie Ye-Mowe, a former VP Finance during part of my time as ED. Steph had a strong commitment to elevating the student voice and serves as an inspiration for all of us to remain steadfast in this.
Through the policy wins and policy challenges, the organizational growth and the hurdles we faced to get there, reflecting on the past few years has put into perspective how much I have grown in this organization and because of it. I will forever be grateful.
Lots of love from OUSA’s resident millennial,
Malika 💙