Shirlene Ndenga is a second-year MBA student at the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics, current vice-president internal in the Thompson Rivers University Students’ Union, and served as a Gaglardi Student Ambassador (GSA) in the winter semester.
We had the chance to sit down with Shirlene to ask her a few questions about her experiences working as a GSA.
Why did you want to become a GSA?
One of the things that really stood out to me is the amount of impact I felt I could create by sharing my skills and knowledge of what is needed for the Bob Gaglardi School of Business and Economics students.
Getting the chance to meet students outside of my social circle as well as connecting with faculty, staff and community members was very important for me. Also, I was excited to be able to create content that I am very passionate about.
How was your experience?
TRU MBA student Shirlene Ndenga holds some swag for a giveaway promo.
It was amazing. I created unique content, built my professional and personal network, attended various events and connected with inspiring TRU Gaglardi alumni. I really felt like I always got the chance to plan and share my ideas with an amazing team that I loved working with.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much I got my face out there. I loved to remind people that there’s more to life than just being a student.
Would you recommend other students to become a GSA?
I would 100 per cent recommend other students to become a GSA.
I feel like being a university student is so much more than the classroom and you should take the chance to put yourself out there to gain more knowledge and skills you might not otherwise get. One of the biggest benefits is building your local network and forming relationships with people who are where you want to be in life.
You also meet people who are inspired by you. People now come up to me who have seen my face on campus, on social media and at events. People now know me as someone who is passionate about TRU, passionate about TRU Gaglardi and here to promote it.
I really feel like I have had a chance to leave an impact at this school and on my education and am extremely grateful to this program for helping me to achieve that.
