Recently, new residents moving into Lá:lem te Baker had the opportunity to receive wisdom from the past.  On August 28, several alumni—all former residents of UFV’s student housing on the Abbotsford campus– returned to share their experiences from their time in residence at UFV.

Andy Sew Chung (Dip ’18), Anna Tsoy (BSc ’22), and Lovesh Ramsaha (BA ’20) joined host Maggi Davis (BA ’17) to discuss their experiences and learnings. The event was a key element of new resident orientation.

To frame the conversation, each participant wrote a letter to their younger selves, offering words of wisdom they felt might have helped them on their first days moving onto campus and into a new environment. Each participant elaborated on their experiences during a panel discussion.

The prevailing theme was to encourage the new students to not be afraid to engage with campus and their new community.

Each discussed their initial fears in those first days and shared how they found the strength to reach outside their comfort zones.

Lovesh emphasized the value of being active on campus. “If you go to these events, and you talk to people, they’re going to become your support system. I’m still friends with people from my days in Lá:lem te Baker,” he noted, reflecting on what worked for him when entering university.

“Reflecting on my time at Lá:lem te Baker, I see how those four years profoundly shaped who I am today,” wrote Anna in a letter to her past self. Andy recounts how he broke out of his shell by volunteering under the guidance of residence manager Christine Zapisocki. Through his volunteering, he learned how to open himself up and work with others on a team.

“These would turn into valuable skills for your job today, as you are now part of a big IT team,” Andy wrote to himself.

The panelists then shared key insights and ideas for living on campus, including where to buy groceries, how to connect with others, and how to get involved in student activities and clubs.

As part of UFV’s continuing efforts to support new and current students by sharing alumni insight and experience, new students also had the opportunity to engage with the speakers and ask questions.

“I am still taking chances and jumping at opportunities when they come up, from professional development to creating brand-new initiatives or supporting community programs,” Maggi Davis wrote in her letter. “Learning to step out of my comfort zone and embrace experiential learning while at Lá: lem te Baker helped us to live our best life.”

To read the full letters from the alumni, follow the links below.

Letters to past self (Maggi Davis)

Letter to former self (Andy Sew Chung)

Letter to My Past Self (Anna Tsoy)