Rita Zhang
Rita ZhaNg: Trafalgar candidate
The world can't take what the world can't give.
Meet Rita Zhang, an Interaction Design student at Trafalgar Campus! An intentional leader who is passionate about promoting better Transportation for her fellow students.
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“The person who inspires me the most when it comes to the way I show up as a leader is God, because he lived a perfect life, and led with kindness and humility.”
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“A sense of community and love.”
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“Accessibility.”
What are some of the student issues that you would like to bring to the Board table?
wHY is Transportation the area YOU ARE MOST PASSIonate about?
Transportation is currently one of the most important things for me, because I've experienced first-hand how difficult it is to get to places without a car, living specifically in Oakville. I've heard stories and testimonies of other students with the same struggle.
I know many students who commute 2 hours one way, not because they want to, but because they have to. This cuts into a lot of time for students, when they can be maximizing on school activities and academics. With activities happening on all three Sheridan campuses, it makes it difficult for many people to attend the events they want, just because it's too inconvenient and time-consuming. Unlike Toronto/the GTA, the buses don't run as late or as often. Missing one bus could cause you to wait an hour. I've been stranded in the middle of Oakville once because I got on the wrong bus. Many people are also unfamiliar with how transit works in Oakville, Brampton, and Mississauga, since a lot of people who attend Sheridan grew up in a different area than these. There used to be shuttle buses that ran between the 3 campuses, and from what I heard from students and alumni, it was one of the most useful systems in place for the students to use.
Without it, it makes it so much more difficult for Sheridan students to get to different campuses. This issue is also personally important to me because I'm a student living away from home, without a car, so the only thing I can rely on is public transportation, and doing basic things to survive, like buying groceries takes up nearly half my day on a weekend.
It's also highly unreliable when the buses say they will come in Oakville. I have seen buses come 15 minutes earlier than the transportation/map applications have said they would, resulting in someone waiting an extra half an hour, and those minutes can feel extremely long in bad Canadian weathers especially cold winters. These little nuances can very well build up and cause the quality of life of a student to go downwards. I believe this issue is pretty important because it impacts and could help a lot of students, and students who rely on public transportation to commute to school for their classes.
“I want to make a mark on campus byBringing our community closer.”
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I'm someone who loves to take initative, go outside of my comfort zone, and be involved with the people on campus and organizations around school. I enjoy spending my breaks walking around Sheridan, talking to people on campus—in the learning commons, engaging with different booths, and in club activites. I'm the founder and vice-president of Women in Business and Technology, and an executive of Makers Lounge. We've hosted numerous events, and club collaborations to help Sheridan students network, foster meaningful connections, and learn new skills around business and technology. From casual events to let loose, to meeting industry leaders. A part from club envolvement, I've been a part of Sheridan EDGE as well, where I connected with a lot of like-minded business students from all Sheridan campuses. I've been involved with mentor sessions, pitch competitions, and events hosted by Sheridan EDGE. Lastly, I've volunteered and participated in numerous hackathons hosted by Sheridan students such as BearHacks, Hackville, and Datathon.
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Make the school more accessible, fix the push plates around the school, as well as improve mental health and create better systems online when it comes to campus clubs/activities and things like the Student Centre.
Rita’s leadership style:
As a leader, what is rita more likely to do on the board?
"STUDENT LEADERSHIP SHOULD feel more Collaborative and less exclusive.” - Rita
As a reminder, you will need to vote for campus-specific representatives, but all Board discussions are passed when every Board member is involved. Take a look at all of your campus representatives, stop by their campaign booths, and make an informed decision on March 16 - March 20.