Meet members of the 2020-2021 Ryerson Community Services Society team
The Ryerson Community Services Society (RCSS) is a steering committee of students formed to ensure that the experience of undergraduate students in the Faculty of Community Services (FCS) reflects the interdisciplinary and communal nature of their work.
The Goal of RCSS is to support a sense of community and belonging to the students across FCS.
RCSS is here to support and enhance the student experience by creating a platform for cross-program collaboration, opportunities for social innovation, and are guided by the needs of FCS students.
The members of RCSS are eager to connect with students, and you can reach them at RCSS@torontomu.ca.
This year the RCSS includes nine amazing student volunteers - here is a little bit about them:
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am a voice representative for Early Childhood Studies and Vice-Chair of Student Wellness. I love being able to represent my program, while at the same time, being an advocate for mental health and wellness.
What do students connect with you about most often?
I’ve been able to connect with students about the importance of mental health and methods of self-care.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
I want to aid my fellow peers to prioritize their mental health by spreading resources and information on ways in which they can take care of themselves to thrive through the school year.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am a CYC representative at the RCSS lead team. I love that I have an opportunity to be able to help create certain memorable events for students that are in and out of my program.
What do students connect with you about most often?
Students often connect with me about their academic concerns or questions regarding their courses. Students often connect with me to acquire advice or address any confusion on their assignments or different assessments.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
I wish students would connect with me about any struggles they might be facing socially. This could include connecting with their peers, making friends, or getting into many different groups at Ryerson University to feel they belong and to have a more inclusive atmosphere since Ryerson University has so many clubs. These organizations welcome so many students from different religions and cultures.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am the Public Health and Safety Rep and the Co-chair of the Policy and Governance Sub-committee. I love what I do because I get to learn from so many different leaders throughout our faculty. We are striving to provide more resources, events, and support to students through RCSS.
What do students connect with you about most often?
Students mostly connect with me about my Co-op experiences and public-health related events or news.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
This year, I hope to engage students and to support one another as much as possible. Although most classes will be online, I hope to get students involved in our events and stay motivated throughout the semester.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I’m the Senior Social Work Representative, Chair of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and Chair of Sponsorships for RCSS. I love this role because I get to help all social work students and work together with other programs to foster a sense of community within the Faculty of Community Services.
What do students connect with you about most often?
It’s mostly social work students who connect with me, about social work resources, especially as first-year students.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
I hope to provide more resources on the use of social media/ technology in general within FCS students. This will also include more EDI resources.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am the Chair of the Academic Services Committee and one of the nursing representatives in the Faculty-Level. I enjoy being part of RCSS as it provides me with the opportunity to further foster the student community within this large Faculty while also ensuring that the voices of my fellow nursing colleagues are heard.
What do students connect with you about most often?
Students most often connect with me when it comes to navigating through and preparing for the different years of the Collaborative Nursing Program. Students also connect with me in understanding who to contact from the program/faculty as the next step when academic-related problems arise.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
I wish students would connect with me about the academic events that they hope to see, to further enhance the interprofessional relationships amongst the undergraduate FCS programs to create a strong community within our large Faculty.
Share an example of something you’ve done that’s made a difference that people might not know about.
I had the privilege to organize and facilitate a panel discussion alongside one of my peers involving the contribution of professors and students from the various undergraduate programs in FCS. Then discussed the value of Experiential Learning and its benefit in association with their program.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am the Chair or Events and one of the nursing voice representatives at the RCSS. I love being part of this society because it allows us to connect with students on a faculty level and bring a strong sense of unity and community. I also love planning events and having the opportunity to help enhance other's university experiences through the fun events we plan.
What do students connect with you about most often?
Many students connect with me about their personal experiences that they have gone through. It helps enhance your viewpoint from a new perspective.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
This year, I plan to bring more events to students to help engage them. Especially with the current situation, students may feel isolated. It would be amazing to strengthen the unity within the schools of FCS.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am the Marketing Chair of the RCSS. I love being the marketing chair because I get to create the visual aspects of everything our team does and help reach out and grow the FCS/RCSS community and pride.
What do students connect with you about most often?
Peers mostly connect with me about food, comics, music, art, and coffee.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
Something I wish peers would connect with me about more is how we can create the community we all want to see develop within FCS.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
At RCSS, I am the Urban & Regional Planning Voice Representative at the faculty level and Internal Affairs Coordinator, External Relations Liaison, Governance/Policy Chair, and Co-Referendum Lead.I am helping to co-lead important work that shapes RCSS when it becomes an official student society. Daniel Barkin and Karen Huang, are all co-leading efforts with me, as part of the referendum strategy team, to guide RCSS into a referendum for Fall 2021.
What do students connect with you about most often?
I am often most contacted by other students to answer campus-related questions or concerns that students have within Ryerson, FCS and my program. I am always supportive of students who reach out to me and support their inquiry as best I can.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
I wish students would connect with me about campus opportunities, especially for student leadership. I can be supportive in helping students find attractive leadership opportunities on campus.
Share an example of something you’ve done that’s made a difference that people might not know about.
I advocated changing the colour of FCS Orientation t-shirts, to different t-shirt colours for each program at the 2019 frosh. This helped incoming FCS students identify more easily with students in their programs by identifying others by the colour of their t-shirt.
What do you do at RCSS, and why do you love it?
I am currently the occupational health and safety representative and the vice-chair of events for the RCSS. Being part of RCSS this year has allowed me to connect with other individuals from different programs, and to continue to share and adapt ideas.
What do you wish students would connect with you about but don’t?
This year as the student body and faculty tries to adapt to our new learning system, and I hope that I can be part of ensuring that the social life of the post-secondary culture is not forgotten!
Share an example of something you’ve done that’s made a difference that people might not know about.
This summer, I worked in a new community center to better adapt, educate, and develop skills among children. Working during the pandemic had its challenges, but surrounding myself with fresh ideas and creative youth was well worth it. I was glad to have contributed to positive change within the community