“I was actually terribly shy my first year,” recalls Shawn Murphy, fourth-year sociology student at Trent University Durham. But all of that changed when he volunteered at a campus event, hosting a sociology booth. “After that event, I realized I could handle taking on a leadership role and make a difference on campus. I chose Trent because I knew I wanted a liberal arts degree. Looking at it now, I probably wouldn’t have taken the steps to get engaged if it wasn’t for the smaller campus.”

In his four years at Trent University Durham, Mr. Murphy has become heavily involved in campus issues, having previous held a seat on the board of directors for the Trent Durham Student Association (TDSA) and being elected vice president of University Affairs the following year. This fall, Mr. Murphy takes on a new challenge as president of the TDSA.

Getting involved in campus advocacy and the TDSA has allowed Mr. Murphy to create opportunities to not only network with fellow students in leaderships position through the Ontario University Student Alliance (OUSA), but has also helped him to gain a better understanding of how universities are run and how students can get involved.

Having come out of his shell and more comfortable exploring and taking on leadership positions, Mr. Murphy hopes that he can encourage all students entering first year to not only get involved, but also create opportunities for students to have their voice heard.

“This is your school, your university, you should have a voice in how things are run. I wasn’t very involved in high school, but since coming to university I have realized that you can make an impact at your school, especially here at Trent University Durham.”