Residence

Ryan's Western adventure kicked off in 2013 at Saugeen-Maitland Hall. Ryan explains his first year experience as "the best way to introduce yourself to the Western community." Whether it was making new friends, conducting group study sessions, or having a Residence Advisor or Soph around, Ryan was able to expand his horizons in so many ways.

"Since I had such an amazing experience during my first year in residence, I thought it would be appropriate to turn my passion for residence and community involvement into a Sophing position. The residents in Ontario Hall were the primary reason I decided to apply as Head Soph. Every year, Western is fortunate to have residents who are caring, supportive, and enthusiastic about their community, and I wanted to contribute to that."

As one might expect, the weeks leading up to move-in day and O-Week are exciting and nerve-racking for both incoming first-years and Sophs, and Ryan had some great advice for both: "Take advantage of every opportunity you get. There are so many great opportunities that will be thrown your way either as a first-year student or as a Soph. There will be no other time in your life where you can live with over 1000 great individuals who not only share similar values but also accept and respect each other's differences. In this kind of environment, you can learn a lot about yourself and others while growing your interpersonal skills and having a successful university career."