Making the Most of University — Mike Sandare’s Journey

By Alvin

Every year, the New Student Orientation sees hundreds of eager students attend a jam-packed day of getting acquainted with campus life. The orientation starts with a pancake breakfast in the morning, before students head off in groups to explore campus, followed by the Presidents’ Address at the end of the day.

Fifth-year Faculty of Arts student Mike Sandare was one of the hundreds of students watching on as then-Students’ Union president Petros Kusmu made a speech during the Presidents’ Address in 2012.

“Coming from high school, I was very awkward and shy,” Sandare admitted, “But a part of Kusmu’s speech changed my outlook on university.”

In his speech, Kusmu spoke about two Facebook posts he saw during his convocation day: one where a friend suggested post-secondary was a complete waste of money, and the other where a friend celebrated the opportunities received as a university student.

“I was very awkward and shy coming out of high school,” Sandare said. “Hearing Kusmu say those words was a defining moment for me because it made me realize I should value my post-secondary years.”

It made me realize I should value my post-secondary years

In the years following, Sandare became involved with various on-campus groups including AIESEC, The Debate Club, The Awkward Conversation Club, and Students’ Union.

Sandare fondly remembers his time at AIESEC as Vice-President of Incoming Exchange, where he was tasked to bring international students to Canada and find employment positions for them.

“I ended up spending some time in India, teaching English to Japanese university students.” Sandare said with a smile.

During his time teaching, he encountered a 14-year-old boy on the street in the slums who struck a conversation in broken English.

“I introduced myself as an English teacher and he introduced himself as someone who wanted to get better in English,” Sandare said. “I agreed to spend a few hours a week teaching him grammar and vocabulary, which led to an incredible experience.”

In fact, Sandare was so inspired by the boy’s efforts to learn English, he decided to create a platform back home for students to pursue their own interests.

The platform was EmpFest, a week-long on-campus employment festival open to all University of Alberta students highlighting career development, personal and career education. There are events held by student groups on campus and prospective employers, along with a summer career fair that takes place during the week.

“What I found was that a lot of groups with initiatives related to student employment were not readily accessible,” Sandare said. “I wanted to bring them together so all University of Alberta students would know about these initiatives and be exposed to an interdisciplinary perspective on employment opportunities.

This year’s EmpFest focused on three career development categories: early, middle, and late. Several notable organizations held events for students including ATB Financial, Cushman & Wakefield, and the University of Alberta Career Centre. In addition, former Edmonton mayor Stephen Mandel made an appearance as the event’s closing keynote.

“I was really excited about this year’s EmpFest because I had a team of 10 people to coordinate the event,” Sandare said. “Last year was the event’s inaugural year, and I was mostly on my own. Thanks to my team, we were able to reach new heights this year.”

We were able to reach new heights this year

With a team behind him, Sandare is proud to say funding has been secured to ensure EmpFest will continue as an annual event for years to come.

“My aim with EmpFest has always been to help students personally develop and grow,” Sandare said. “That hasn’t changed and is something I hope will continue as the festival lives on.”

From an anxious boy out of high school to becoming involved in numerous on-campus initiatives including the creation of a major on-campus employment festival, one can say Sandare has made the most out of his post-secondary years at the University of Alberta.

“There is a quote I live by,” Sandare said, “To grow is to change, and to change is to perfect.”