In 2019, Sooah’s friends encouraged her to join the Philosophy Club and it changed her whole Langara experience. Sooah is a part-time student and was taking a variety of anthropology, psychology, and philosophy courses, but it was difficult making friends. “Joining the Philosophy Club was definitely my social break-out moment at Langara. I found it difficult to meet and talk to people in classes, but I met a lot of friends in the Philosophy Club”.
Sooah now volunteers as one of the Executive Members of the Philosophy Club and encourages others to get involved. “The great thing about joining a club is that you get to meet new friends and I recommend clubs to people all the time. Joining can be nerve wracking but the nice thing is it’s easy to make friends over semesters. The common interest will keep you together. Plus, older members are there to help out with things and provide guidance and mentorship for new members or students new to post-secondary life”.
With the transition to online learning, hosting club meetings looked a little bit different. In person meetups changed to online chats, but the familiar faces were a welcome sight. “One of my favourite parts about volunteering with a club is being able to lead discussions with friends and exploring things you’re passionate about. Each week we discuss something different. There are always new perspectives to consider.”
This year for National Volunteer Week, the theme is the value of one, the power of many. When asked what that means to her, Sooah says “the value of one person’s ideas and contributions is great. The value of multiple people and the contributions they are bringing to the table is exponential. More people means more potential and capability to do something good.”