Leaders of Tomorrow program finds a home at Douglas > New partnership leads to ‘campus-wide opportunity’ Jamal Al-Bayaa Staff Writer De College has become the newest sponsor and partner of Leaders of Tomorrow, a mentorship program that connects students in their final year of studies with professionals from their industry of choice. Douglas will be sending 10-15 students into a year-long mentorship opportunity that aims to help them transition into a successful career. The partnership can be seen as one of the many ways in which Douglas is fulfilling their commitment to experiential learning, which was one of the major growth strategies outlined in their most recent strategic plan. Brought to students in tandem with The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, the program is an expression of the shared goals of the three organizations: Employing students faster and in better positions, and helping students achieve higher job-success rates. However, it wasn’t just business that the Board of Trade had in mind when they were discussing partnership with the college. Specifically, they were impressed with the prowess of Douglas’s nursing department, and so they are tailoring the program to meet those needs. “Nursing students probably won't have to worry about finding a job,’ said Austin Nairn, programs director for the Board of Trade, “but the program can teach them a lot of soft skills surrounding their industry.” These soft skills could include finding the right job, improving communication, and planning for a long-term career. Similar adaptations are being made for students in other faculties as well. Catherine Williams, the director of business development at the college, says that this is a “campus-wide opportunity” that she would like to see a variety of students engage with. After seeing the success of the Burnaby Board of Trade’s ACCESS program being in action for a number of years, Douglas has expanded to the Leaders of Tomorrow program to make it their second mentorship partnership to date, hoping to provide even more opportunities for Douglas students to participate in and choose from. While ACCESS is heavily business-oriented, the Leaders of Tomorrow differentiates itself by being a good fit for students with a wide variety of career interests. Programs such as ACCESS have shown success in the past for the college, especially in terms of faster employment and higher rates of job success for graduates. “Douglas is already a work focused culture,” Williams said. “Forty per cent of our student population has a job.” Those kinds of numbers, Williams said, make the average Douglas student very attractive to possible employers. Spotlight: Forget being hopeless, find focus > DSU FOCUS Club provides inclusive environment for international students Aaron Guillen Staff Reporter [I an uncontested notion that international students have to deal with much more stress than domestic students. With tuition fees raised, a new city to adjust to, and language barriers to deal with, it can be too much to handle all at once. At the DSU FOCUS (Friends of Overseas College & University Students) Club, students can place those worries aside and find a community of international students who understand and are willing to support them. Eunice Tanuwijaya, President of FOCUS, said that friendships forged in the group are priceless. “The club believes in unconditional love and building communities by giving students the opportunity to make friendships with others of different cultural and religious backgrounds,” Tanuwijaya explained. The DSU FOCUS Club started at Douglas College around six years ago, provided by the sponsorship of International Student Ministries Canada (ISMC). The ISMC hopes to help these international students in both practical and spiritual ways. “International students are a vulnerable group, being far away from home and separated from their families in a foreign land,’ adds Edward Hum, ISMC Staff Member. “The practical aspect involved many things such as ESL, social events, help with moving, etc. While there are many Christian groups on college campuses promoting the Christian faith, ISMC’s approach is different because we focus on friendship before faith. We started focusing less on the Bible study and more on application of the teachings of the Bible and on friendship even more.” Tanuwijaya joined the group back in 2014 and continues to stay for the inclusiveness it provides to all students. “FOCUS has transformed into a place where everyone can hang out and chill,” Tanuwijaya said. “Even though the club is founded by Christians, this doesn’t mean that members must have the same religious background. Everyone is free to believe what they believe.” In addition to its relaxed and supportive atmosphere, FOCUS also provides an opportunity to connect with the community near and far. Recently, FOCUS collaborated with the DSU Crew, DSU Video Games Culture Club, and DSU Indonesian Club to support the Nepal relief fundraiser. “I linked up with FOCUS Club through the DSU’s efforts to raise funds for the Nepal earthquake fund in July of 2015,” shared Jacqueline Martin, Vice President. “From that day forward, | continued to reconnect with the club, eventually becoming a permanent member. I stay simply because the people that resonate within the group are both compassionate and warm. Their qualities enhance my own personal growth and academic experience,” said Martin. “Over time, the club members have realized that FOCUS is more than a college club.,” Hum added, “It is a loving community that extends beyond college, Canada, and even this current life.” “God has confirmed this by connecting us this past pee ere EEE WHI Image via thinkstock “What I'd like to see is for that to become is a career- focused culture, where a student names their highest and best ambition and then reaches for it.” Experiential education opportunities like this are one of the newest ways that Douglas College is striving to achieve the career-focused culture that Williams is talking about. Ps DSU FOC’ ae CLUB Building international communities with love. f: DSU FOCUS CLUB summer with Pastor Rhonda and Life Design House to sponsor community supper every Tuesday and many other activities. Operation Mobilization (OM) provides students and graduates with short-term or long-term opportunities to help the poor around the world, and Vancouver Outreach, a new startup charity Image via DSU founded by Jacqueline, feeds and befriends the homeless people locally” With students coming and going back to their home countries, the number of members fluctuates each semester, and FOCUS is looking for volunteers to help their club thrive.