Contact: matthewbains92@gmail.com
Thinking back to when I graduated high school and asked myself the age-old question, “so, what now”? I remember feeling a great deal of uncertainty about which career path to embark on. I had next to no idea of what I wanted to study, so obtaining a degree seemed far out of reach for me; however, thanks to a mentor of mine at the time, I discovered Langara’s Recreation programs and never looked back! Over the years, I worked my way through the Recreation Leadership Diploma Program, and after graduating this, jumped straight into the Bachelor of Recreation Management Program. By no means was this an easy journey (those visitations and DQ’s though), but thanks to the support of some truly amazing Instructors, great classroom communities (both online and offline), and having a strong passion for recreation, I was able to graduate the BRM this past June... Huzzah! Looking back on these years, a few things I am most proud of are receiving a scholarship for excellence in youth work, being filmed as “one of the faces" for our department's promotional videos, and all of the wonderful relationships I formed with classmates and instructors along the way!
Professionally, I currently "wear a number of hats”. My main gigs are with the City of New Westminster as a Youth Worker and Recreation Leader, and on the side, I am a rink rat for the City of Richmond where I work in their arenas as an Ice Leader and Skate Shop Attendant. I have planned special events, coordinated volunteers, led exciting programs, and skated around in a Snoopy costume just to name a few things. Some recent highlights include helping run a satellite youth centre as part of Rogers Hometown Hockey New West, sitting on a committee that is helping bring a new skate park to New West, and being a positive role model for the youths I work with. Although I may not have a full-time position (yet), I enjoy the work I do and the flexibility that comes with working auxiliary positions. It is this flexibility that will allow me to travel and see the world, which is what I currently have my sights set on doing before I settle down into a full-time career.
Personally, when I am not cycling all over Metro Vancouver, I spare for a few hockey teams and practice power yoga once in a while. I also dragon boat in the spring and summer months and enjoy cooking and watching Top Gear (the original one) in my spare time. Since finishing school (for now), I have been looking for new ways to challenge myself so I do not get too comfortable with life. Something I did recently was complete the GranFondo Whistler, a 122km (mostly uphill) bike ride from Stanley Park to Whistler. Next up is a one-month trip to Costa Rica to volunteer as a P.E. teacher as part of a sports education project.
After my awesome experience with Langara’s Rec programs, I find myself in a position where I want to give back to a department that has been so good to me. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns about balancing work and school, time management, what to expect with some courses, etc. - I will do my best to help you out!