“All I am asking for is a chance”
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What inspired you to choose UBC?
UBC is the most exciting place to be in the country today! It is uniquely positioned to shape the next century in Canada and globally with its incredible strengths, including research excellence across important fields and a great student experience. It also has a forward-looking mindset and deep commitment to Indigenous relationships, inclusion, sustainability and to building a better future for all.
Tell us a bit about your research and what got you interested in the field of neuropsychology?
I was a summer camp counsellor as a teenager and chose psychology hoping I would learn notions and skills that would help me support these campers, many of whom had difficult lives. But I fell in love with the structure and function of the brain, particularly how our brain takes in energy from our senses and processes it to reconstruct what we perceive as reality in our minds. It seems deceivably simple—just open our eyes—but behind the scenes, in the brain, the processes involved are intricate and complex.
You are a strong advocate for open conversations around mental health. Why?
I started to speak openly about my own journey with mental health struggles and substance use because of the responsibility I felt to students, faculty and staff on campus. Many are struggling and the pandemic made this even more obvious. Every time we speak openly and honestly about mental health, both the symptoms and causes, we weaken the stigma and the shame and silence that still surrounds these issues. We also make it more likely that people get the help they need and deserve. When given the opportunity, I try to share three pieces of advice: First, if you are suffering, know you are not alone. Second, understand that you deserve help and that reaching out for help is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign you’re getting stronger. And finally, believe that healing is always possible.
Where does your passion for higher education stem from?
Higher education is my life and it’s given me more than I can ever repay. It saved me from my own mental health and substance use issues which lasted over two decades as I struggled to recover from growing up in a dysfunctional, unsafe home. I cannot imagine what would have become of me if I had not been blessed with the possibility, even in the darkest of times, to hang on to my studies. I serve in leadership positions because I know that what we do here matters on a grand scale.
What quality do you value most in a leader?
The first responsibility of a leader is to heal themselves. Perhaps most importantly is to heal from the unconscious fear which takes many forms: fear of not being enough, fear of failure, fear of disappointing those we love. Leadership that comes from fear may work in the short run, but in the long term it causes great harm. I have found that once free of fear, a space emerges where service becomes selfless and compassion flows more naturally. I have chosen to heed the words of the late, great Robert Pirsig: “The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.”
How do you see UBC contributing to positive change in the world?
When I think of the biggest challenges that our world faces—the climate crisis, issues in health and wellness, social justice and living together in a diverse, ever-changing world—I know the way forward can only be forged here at UBC and in great universities around the world. This will happen through research and scholarship in both the arts and sciences, and through our students going out into the world smarter and wiser than we were. In my short time at UBC, I have already connected with many talented, passionate people who I can say with confidence will make a difference in the world, and I feel honoured to be part of it.
Describe your perfect afternoon.
Any instant, however fleeting, when I can get out of my own way and just let what is happening in the present moment unfold without labelling it, conceptualizing it or trying to decide whether I like it or not, is perfect. I work at this every day and if I can one day remain in that peaceful state for a full afternoon, with my thoughts still and my heart full, then it will really be perfect.
What is your favourite book or piece of literature?
Literature and music were my solace through many dark years and there are too many to name. The poems of Rumi or Mary Oliver. Cyrano de Bergerac. Brothers Karamazov. Camus’ L’Etranger. The Baghavad Gita. But the most truthful answer is The Lord of The Rings because the things you love when you are 14—in my case the Montreal Canadiens, Bob Dylan, and LOTR—are lodged deeper inside ourselves than our more recent passions.
What are you most excited about experiencing in Vancouver and Kelowna?
I like to walk, hike and run in new places and just take in the beauty. I want to develop a connection to the land and people here and learn all about beautiful BC.
What would you say to donors who give to UBC?
On behalf of our students, faculty, staff and our entire community, I would like to thank you for your vision and generosity. UBC has been shaped into a world-class institution thanks to partners and donors like you. As great as we are today, we are nowhere near our full potential and we need your help to continue making the world a better place.
Thank you for taking the time to read and I look forward to seeing you on our beautiful campuses!