vol.002 issue 1- the "a" in aiesec: achievement

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The international platform for young people to explore and develop their leadership potential

EXPLOREAIESECTHE STUDENT SERIES

THE ‘A’IN AIESEC:‘ACHIEVEMENT’

VOL 2 NO°1


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THE ‘A’IN AIESEC:‘ACHIEVEMENT’

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CONTENTSAIESEC Canada’s National Congress 2012:

Caroline Ip

Krishna Aggarwal

COMM Promo - AIESEC T-Shirt Day

Kathy Campbell – AIESEC Alumni

AIESECer of the Month: Robert Cekan

Toolbox Tuesdays - Personal Development Section

AIESEC Canada’s National Congress 2012 Conference Quotes

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VP OF COMMUNICATIONSCaroline Ip

EDITOR IN CHIEFIshaan Kukreja

DESIGN LEADTiffany Chan

TEAM LEADMavis Liu

DESIGN CONSULTANTJoelle LeungRachel Gluek

The biggest fear that I had to overcome was experiencing my first AIESEC conference on a national level. I was afraid of being overwhelmed and was not sure of what to expect out of the conference. Many recommended experiencing a local or regional conference to get a feel of how AIESEC was like but I challenged myself and absolutely did not want to past this opportunity. However, with the guidance from the Laurier chapter and other fellow AIESECers, I was able to learn a lot about the conference and was able to overcome this challenge

AIESEC Canada’s National Congress 2013

Caroline IpWithin joining AIESEC for four months as a graphic design

team leader and transitioning to my role as Vice President of Communications, National Congress (NC) in Edmonton this past

Christmas holiday was a big stepping stone for my upcoming year of 2013. I had the privilege to spend time and meet over 200 AIESECers

from across Canada through this annual five-day conference.

What was your biggest fear that you had to overcome?

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The biggest fear that I had to overcome was experiencing my first AIESEC conference on a national level. I was afraid of being overwhelmed and was not sure of what to expect out of the conference. Many recommended experiencing a local or regional conference to get a feel of how AIESEC was like but I challenged myself and absolutely did not want to past this opportunity. However, with the guidance from the Laurier chapter and other fellow AIESECers, I was able to learn a lot about the conference and was able to overcome this challenge

After attending NC, the conference made me truly believe what AIESEC was about. From the icebreaking of AIESEC dances to the team working skills during simulation definitely lived up to the AIESEC values. The conference allowed me to truly understand what the AIESEC culture is like and why AIESEC dances are so important to bring people together. It is absolutely amazing to see a crowd of individuals being so excited and having so much fun in one room. One aspect to take away from this experience is how AIESEC has such a huge global network and how many different connections an individual can develop. Just in the span of five days, I got to meet amazing individuals from across Canada and listening to their exchange stories of where they have been is so inspiring. Taking these inspirational stories will definitely push me to live an international experience in another country and to attend an international conference.

What did you take away from the experience?

After coming back from Edmonton, I was so excited to tell my local community about my personal experience with AIESEC. Though they say, a life changing moment is never known until you experience it personally. I will most definitely encourage my whole local community to attend a conference not only to develop the functional skills needed but to experience the AIESEC culture and to meet individuals that have the same passion as you do. As well during the conference there were a lot of personal development sessions and workshops that helped me develop a better understanding of my role as Vice President of Communications for my upcoming year. During the functional tracks, I was able to learn strategies that I was able to pass onto my members which allowed us to improve our portfolio

What can you bring back to the LC and how did it develop you into a better person?

I am forever thankful for AIESEC to allow me to meet such amazing individuals across Canada and allowed me to develop a better bonding with my fellow Wilfrid Laurier AIESECers! Knowing the AIESEC culture more clearly has definitely allowed me to be more motivated and passionate about my upcoming year and hoping that I can influence others just like the individuals I have met through this national conference!

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I had the opportunity to attend NSP, which was a professional development training the day before the conference.

Now personally, if you attend, make sure you take tons of notes. There we had externals from different parts of Alberta come out and talk to us. We also had the opportunity to run mock simulations of a 20 minute meeting with these professionals, where at the end they gave us feedback. I feel like this is crucial since no one really knows how fundamental this experience is before you go into the professional world. Hearing first hand how you can improve is part of a learning curve you can only have at AIESEC. I

got to meet and exchange business cards with Robert Fernandez (Guy had a pretty neat rolex!) who consults the premier and his cabinet on economic development. I got to meet Andrew Bryson, who creates custom business software and Long Fu who did something interesting which I cant remember. I have at least 40 pages of notes I brought back with me on certain sessions we ran like How to better manage a team, backwards planning, leadership and vulnerability, how to manage a team, how to motivate a team, team development through Tuckman stages and how important is resilience is by the Co-operators. I know it sounds cliche, but I could easily say I walked outside this conference a different person than I walked in. I strongly urge everyone who wants to be challenged and step outside that comfort zone, attend a conference like this.

Being able to bond with these two beauties were phenomenal. We stayed up one night in the bro cave and just talked about everything from politics to movies to women. Troy and Abed had some crazy adventures during the late nights which included hopping on a golf cart and meeting some nice Albertans, memories I will cherish forever. Also, safe to say we conquered during the simulation. Love you Chris Marshall !

Krishna AggarwalExperience at NC


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The Co-operators giving a presentation on Resilience and its importance in the real world. How changes in everyday life should be taken on headstrong and how important it is for you to be adaptable. This is where they gave us a challenge to create an object out of everyday supplies and kept complicating our challenge to create free standing tower by adding more obstacles. I did this with the LCP of York, Joyce Tan !

Life just is not complete without a banquet with your Chair and New MCPs. Thanks for photobombing me my NST team and my LCP.

Watching AIESEC Alumni and externals give speeches about how to run an effective meeting!

Some great LC bonding moments. Having the opportunity to really bond with people from your team, which I know just made our team even closer than ever. NSFW kids.

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AIESEC T-SHIRT DAY

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Kathy Campbell AIESEC Alumni

Director - Craigavon Contact Centre Consulting

In my second year of University, I was asked to chair the International Presidents’ Meeting (IPM) on behalf of AIESEC Canada. It only took a 10-day conference for me to see the incredible work being done by AIESEC around the world and soon after, I was boarding a plane to Brussels as AIESEC International’s new Assistant Secretary General. To be part of such a dynamic organization and an international networking community was reason enough to leave my degree behind for a while! Practically speaking,

I still recall getting off the elevator during my first week on campus only to be faced with a poster that read “Want to travel and see the world? Come to AIESEC’s information meeting.” Yes, it was the prospect of travel that first lured me into AIESEC’s local committee at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. I had caught the travel bug as a high school exchange student to Japan. What I learned over the next several years, though, was that AIESEC had much more in store for me than travel.

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I was receiving valuable business experience outside of a classroom and making friends from countries across the globe. In no rush to go home, I accepted a 9-month internship in Johannesburg, South Africa, with IBM. Little did I know that 9 months would turn into 16 years!I completed my internship and returned home for that official piece of paper that would secure my future. IBM invited me back to Johannesburg and I continued to work for them over the next five years. The entrepreneur in me was sneaking out though, so when I saw an opportunity for a call centre business, I left IBM and started my own company. Africa was in my blood for good! I met my husband while taking my MBA and together our family called Johannesburg home. A proud moment in mycareer was in 1994 when our

company supplied toll-free information lines to the country’s citizens during South Africa’s first democratic elections. Multi-cultural skills that were learned during my AIESEC involvement played a major role in the success of this project.While my husband and I and our two teenage daughters have been back in Canada for twelve years now, I continue to cross paths with friends and contacts made during my many years with AIESEC. I recently celebrated my 25th year reunion with my team from AIESEC International and already we are planning on hiking the Grand Canyon for our 30th! Recently, I have had the opportunity to be a part of the bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver thanks to a fellow AIESEC alumnus. AIESEC taught me numerous things, one being to never turn down an opportunity, as it may take you in a direction that you never thought possible!

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NST TM Ontario/Atlantic Responsible and recipient of Talent Management Award for NST Canada

AIESECER OF THEMONTH :ROBERT CEKAN

With a country that has 28 local committees spread from coast to coast, there’s only so much attention the national team can provide every vice president in Canada with. That’s where the National Support Team comes in. By having a team of motivated AIESECers with a history of proved results and experience, the national team can focus more on their core activities while vice presidents across the country can receive more direct support as they carry throughout the semester.

I can proudly say that I’m on the National Support Team for Talent Management providing support for 5 local committees in the Ontario and Atlantic region. I essentially monitor and guide the vice presidents of these Talent Management departments to ensure that they’re all reaching the goals they set out for the year and provide recommended solutions that can be adapted to the reality of that school. It’s an incredibly rewarding experience

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providing support and working with these talented individuals.

My journey didn’t begin on the NST, however. I joined AIESEC in Winter 2011 looking for a leadership role in an organization with an international focus. While I’m a finance student, I felt I could strengthen my people skills by applying to be in Talent Management. Little did I know that this would begin an amazing 2 ½ year journey with this organization. While I loved the idea behind Talent Management, I felt that there were many gaps and inefficiencies in the portfolio during my first semester. Then, during the summer of 2011, my vice president suddenly left his position thereby leaving a vacancy for the leadership role I originally yearned for. With a little bit of motivation from Michael Fragiskatos, I took on the vice president role with virtually no transition and while having no transition is usually a terrible thing, I turned it into a huge opportunity for myself. I had the chance to radically change the department to the way I felt would operate best and I did so by continually changing and innovating procedures as I progressed throughout my term. Every day was a learning experience and I was empowered to make a change in AIESEC Laurier. My LCP, Carson Kolberg, was an excellent person to brainstorm with and my team was filled with amazing individuals who implemented these ideas, turning what was on paper to reality.

During my one-year term as vice president of Talent Management, my team and I redesigned performance tracking, created an incentive system, rebuilt recruitment, designed an on-boarding system, formalized goal setting (PDTs), developed a coaching system and constructed the foundation for the Alumni Relations portfolio. These achievements led Laurier to win its first ever award, namely, the National Excellence Award in Talent Management given during the closing banquet at NC 2013. This was quite possibly my most proud moment as an AIESECer.

Now on the NST, my goal is to replicate these results in other local committees across Canada. It’s really amazing what can be achieved when you work with the right people and have the right motivation.

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TOOLBOXTUESDAYS

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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT SECTION

Example of past speakers include:Laura Allan, Assistant Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University that talked about Emotional IntelligenceCarson Kolberg, 5th year Communications student and AIESEC Alumni that talked about Team RecipeMark Elliot, AIESEC external that talked about Science of sales

Toolbox Tuesdays are 30 minute or less sessions that are invited to all students in the Waterloo region. These sessions are presented by AIESEC members, AIESEC Alumnis, AIESEC External Advisors and Wilfrid Laurier University professors. Each session provides personal development, professional skills and tips that can be applied personally and for future careers paths.

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“NC is a time of exchanging stories, secrets to success and ways to overcome difficulties and failures. So don’t be afraid to speak up, ask questions and learn from exceptional individuals from all across Canada. Are you ready for an intensive learning experience?”

Catherine Tong


Quotes from

“I feel like the best quote to describe this conference is “Everything you want is just outside your comfort zone” by Robert Allen , a Canadian business author. AIESEC challenges you to go outside your comfort zone for a reason, because the truth is thats where you truly grow as a person.”

Krishna Aggarwal

“An amazing part of my winter break that I would gladly relive for the amazing sessions, opportunities, and AIESEC experience. I simply can’t wait to attend more conferences to build up my AIESEC network and learn more about AIESEC because I can never learn or even get enough out of them.”

Cinyi Haw

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“The emotion introspection and inspiration I received from NC 2013 has produced lasting effects on me. It’s a conference I will never forget with material that was nothing short of refreshing.”

Robert Cekan

“NC 2013 was like no other student conference I’ve attended before; the really special thing about AIESEC conferences is the atmosphere. In a room full of passionate AIESECers is where you truly see what being an AIESECer means. It’s all about passion, hard work, learning, bettering yourself and society, and most of all, having an amazing time with awesome people. I recommend a conference for anybody - there is absolutely no way you go to a conference and regret it later!

So many other extra-curriculars teach you to think, “how can I win?” But AIESEC really changes your mindset, to where you think, “How can we help each other all win?” This community-based mindset sets AIESEC apart - the people I have met at NC have been some of the most amazing, friendly, and helpful people I’ve ever encountered. I feel like all the AIESECers I’ve met are now a giant network of friends, and I can’t wait to go to more conferences to see them all again! The only downside of the conferences? Having to say goodbye to the amazing people and great city you’ve encountered!”

Marda Wysocka

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vol.002 issue 1- the "a" in aiesec: achievement

Documents

aiesec conference

aiesec culture

aiesec values

regional conference

icebreaking of aiesec

young people

annual fiveday conference

national congress nc