Many of you may have seen Deijanelle Simon, Algonquin’s Students’ Association president, walking the hallways of the college or you’ve seen her speak at events.
As Simon approaches the end of her two-year tenure, the Algonquin Times sat down with her to discuss her journey as president and her final term as a student.
Simon who is originally from London, Ont. moved to Ottawa five years ago to pursue a degree at the University of Ottawa but ended up instead in the advertising, marketing and communications program at Algonquin College.
Her first term as president of the SA began in 2018 and she was reelected in 2019. She described her journey as president as challenging.
“I love the fact that no day is the same,” said Simon. “Things are constantly changing.”
Her first year as president came with challenges but Simon is grateful she had a great administration team to show her the ropes. She also commended the efforts of other board members in ensuring that the students’ association ran smoothly.
“I couldn’t have achieved all I did last year without the help of my board members,” said Simon.
Managing the Students’ Association for a college as large as an Algonquin is not an easy job. The SA has a lot of moving parts and requires time and dedication. The job requires you to build relationships with the students, college administration and represent the student association both internally and externally.
“She is very dedicated to her job and cares about the wellbeing of the students,” said May Ghadban, SA vice president.
On a typical day, Simon spends her time shuffling between meetings and classes an act that she is constantly trying to perfect. She says her studies are as important as being president to her.
“I’m still learning to create time to focus on assignments,” said Simon. “I’m not failing so I guess I’m doing a good job.”
Simon is looking forward to enjoying her last few months as president and also exploring new opportunities after graduating. She weighing all her options and is considering working in policy writing.
“I’ve enjoyed creating policies more than I thought I would,” said Simon. “ I’m exploring policy writing opportunities in Ottawa.”
Now that she’s approaching the end of her term Simon is excited to serve as the elections officer that will help in deciding who is going to be a part of the next board of governors
“I’m excited to see the people who will apply,” said Simon. “ I’ve been here for two years and to be on the other side of the table will be exciting.”