Student Groups Spotlight – MacEwan University Rotaract Club

Every month, we will feature a different student group to demonstrate the many diverse groups we have at MacEwan and how they all contribute to a vibrant, thriving community on our campus.

We sat down with their executive team to discuss who they are, what kind of volunteer opportunities they offer and their most impactful experience with Rotaract.

 

SAMU: Hi, welcome to the SAMU Student Groups Spotlight! Let’s get started by telling me a bit about yourselves.

Nic: Hi, I’m Nic Drew. I am a second-year business management student and the president of MacEwan
Rotaract.

Ana: Hi, I’m Ana Morey, a second-year bachelor of arts majoring in anthropology, and I’m the secretary of MacEwan Rotaract.

Sydney: Hi, I’m Sydney McGrath, the Rotaract volunteer coordinator. I’m in my fifth year of a bachelor of arts program, majoring in psychology.

Nic: Rotaract is a volunteer club. We volunteer at places like the Food Bank and work to bring MacEwan students together to create an environment to meet others with similar interests. MacEwan Rotaract is also one of SAMU’s longest-running groups!

Sydney: We are a part of Rotary, which is our parent organization. Rotary’s mission is to provide service, tackle the world’s issues, and commit to taking action to enact lasting change. Rotaract is for young adults, and their Interact level is for high school students.

Nic: Before I joined, I had just started attending in-person classes on campus and wanted to get involved and volunteer. I wanted to do nice things for others and meet others with the same mindset and values. My favourite memory is from before I was an executive member. We went to the Rec Room, and it was so nice to see everyone come together and be in a non-volunteer environment making new friends.

Ana: I joined through the Student Groups Expo during my first semester at MacEwan. I’m not from Edmonton, so I was going around with my roommate, and we joined some groups together, Rotaract being one of them! I went to the meetings and really enjoyed them. I wanted to get more involved, so I ran for an executive position. My favourite part about our group is our community. I’ve made a lot of friends through volunteering and our meetings. It’s been fun getting to know different people.

Sydney: My friend was vice president last year, and when we carpooled, I got bored waiting for her when she was at the meetings. So, I thought I should check it out and ended up drinking the Kool-Aid! My favourite memory is from our first meeting of the year. We were all nervous and excited, and it was so fun seeing our new members and our sponsor club, the Rotary Club of Edmonton.

Sydney: We do a wide variety of volunteering. Our main go-to is Edmonton Food Bank, but we also volunteer with GEF Seniors Housing, Boyle Street and other organizations. We try to have consistent work, so our team always has a place to volunteer with.

Nic: We try to get as much feedback from our members as possible. If they want something, we will make it happen. A group our team wants to work with is Animal Shelters! We have been doing a lot of research and calls to figure out how to get involved since it’s such a sensitive environment, but we are hopeful we can work something out.

Sydney: We also want to collab with the Uno Club! We think bringing Uno to the Seniors and playing with them would be fun.

Ana: We’ve worked with other Student Groups in the past, like Create for Kids, at their Christmas cards event, so we are looking forward to possible future collaborations.

Sydney: It’s very casual. You can sign up for as many shifts as you’d like. There’s no required amount. We know it’s intimidating to volunteer on your own and make the commitment, so going as a group takes the stress away and leaves a fun and exciting experience.

Nic: Yeah, it’s a low barrier and low commitment. We want it to be easy and fun for students to try, and even if you only come once, we want to see you.

Ana: It’s a great way to get to know people since you will often be in small groups working together, so it’s easy to make new friends.

Nic: We collaborated with Rotary International and MacEwan to install a Peace Pole in Building Five! That was our biggest achievement this past year, and we are really proud of it.

Sydney: We also host speaker series with guests like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Edmonton and the past Rotary Club of Edmonton West District Governor Brent Collingwood. On campus, we host bake sales to raise money for donations and volunteering.

Nic: Bake sales are easy for members to volunteer at since they are flexible and on campus. It’s a great way to get out of your shell, meet new people and put yourself out there.

Ana: Students can request to be a member on Student Groups Connect, and once you’re a member you can RSVP for events through our mailing list. Sydney sends out emails when we have upcoming volunteer opportunities with a link to sign up, so keep an eye out for those. We have general member meetings once a week; people come to learn about events and opportunities, mingle and hang out.

Sydney: We also coordinate ride-sharing so people can carpool to events together, which has been a great initiative!

Nic: The switch from general member to president was my most impactful experience. I had only been in the club for one semester before I became president, so it was a big transition. I was nervous going into this term, but since I had the support of our outstanding executive team, I was able to grow into the leader we needed. I also developed my public speaking skills and personal goals and became more decisive.

Ana: Going to the food bank last year was most impactful for me; it was the most volunteering experience I’d ever had. Before I joined the group, the only person I knew here was my roommate, so I got to see a lot of new people and make connections to Edmonton!

Sydney: I’ve really valued meeting people who I would’ve never had a class with, like Ana or Nic. I have also grown my public speaking and leadership skills, which have translated into my courses and personal work.

All: Go for it! Check out as many groups as you want and head to their events. We want to see you, even if it’s just for one meeting. MacEwan is a big place, and you can find your people if you take a chance. Everyone in Rotaract is welcoming, and there’s no pressure to commit!

All: We want to thank our sponsor club, Rotary Club of Edmonton West and Annie Mueller and Lorne Proctor for supporting us. We’d also like to shout out our amazing volunteers and students who visit our group!