Acsenda School of Management, through Student Services Coordinator Abiye Adoki, has been regularly sending out notices month after month of upcoming events on campus.  This month, students were invited to expand their network and participate in workshops that enhance the student experience and prepare international students for the global workplace.
Activities included inspirational speakers for the Inspire and Aspire Speaker Series, a session with Acsenda President Neil Mort in Pizza with the President, participation in the Stanley Park Walk, Acsenda Student Awards and Filipino-inspired Dance Lesson.

Inspire and Aspire Speaker Series

Speakers in the Inspire and Aspire Speaker Series included MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Surrey-Panorama Jinny Sims, Toastmaster Darren Frew, Sustainability Specialist Leslie Ng and Rosewood Hotel GM Ahmed Al Bik.

MLA for Surrey-Panorama Jinny Sims encouraged students to open themselves to opportunities around them, expand their network by volunteering and increasing their circle of friends and acquaintances. She also shared her experiences, being born in India, moving to England as a nine-year-old and adapting to a new culture. After completing her education degree at the University of Manchester and teaching in a high school for a few years, she decided to migrate to Canada as a teacher and eventually became president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation in 2004. Seven years later, she got elected as Member of Parliament for Newton-North Delta and served as the Critic for International Cooperation, Critic for Immigration, and Critic for Employment. In 2017, she got elected to her present position as MLA for Surrey-Panorama and Minister of Citizens’ Services.
Toastmaster Darren Frew, a communication and leadership specialist, talked to students about improving their public speaking skills and conducted a public speaking workshop on campus. As president of City Hall Connaught Toastmasters Club, he gave students some tips on how to speak with confidence, communicate effectively and conduct themselves in stressful situations. He shared some insights on the topics or issues that resonate with the target audience and how these can be delivered with impact.  He also encouraged students to form their own Toastmasters Club to practice on their public speaking and apply the concepts that they learned.
City of Vancouver’s Sustainability Specialist Leslie Ng talked about sustainability. She taught students about various means of making the Acsenda School of Management a sustainable campus.
Rosewood Hotel’s Ahmed Al Bik, general manager of the hotel’s West Georgia Vancouver location, was invited to speak about careers in hospitality on 27 May. He presented the various careers that graduates of hospitality management can explore.

Pizza with the President

At the opening of each school term, Acsenda School of Management President Neil Mort meets with students to update them about the recent happenings on campus and also answer questions that they may have concerning their studies.
This is a good opportunity for both Acsenda management and students to build their connection in an informal and friendly setting. Acsenda management believes that this is critical to students’ successful integration in their new environment. This sentiment is echoed by Mr Mort. “We have initiated this activity to welcome our students into their new campus. This is also a chance for them to interact with their fellow students as well as their professors and staff at Acsenda School of Management,” he says. “This is also a critical first step in their adjustment to a new country and culture. We would like them to have a good appreciation of the colours and flavours of Canadian culture for the duration of their stay.”

Stanley Park Walk

As part of Acsenda’s physical wellness campaign, students joined the ASM community in a walk to the Seawall. It was a weekend of fun and camaraderie and an opportunity to get to know fellow students, faculty and staff in a casual setting. It also gave them the chance to explore their surroundings as a group.

Acsenda Student Awards

The Acsenda Student Awards are held at the start of each new term to give recognition to the outstanding students of the previous term. It is also a way of honouring their hard work and encouraging new and current students to also strive to excel in their studies. There were 19 students who made it to the Dean’s list, as follows:

• Beatrice Ruth Alido
• Moises King Lasaleta Jr
• Alexander David Famadulan
• Maria Paula Micheli
• Patricia Vyskocova
• Sheila Ilustrisimo
• Harmanpreet Kaur Sekhon
• Dalibor Vartovnik
• Thais Alves da Maia
• Rizza Corpuz
• Marjorie Anne Agustin
• Allen Geoffrey Go
• Adrian Maddatu
• Navdeep Kaur
• Aseem Hayer
• Iliana Carranza Angeles
• Seung Youn Nam
• Jessica Wolf Ortiz
• Ji Hean Jung

Student volunteers and those with perfect attendance were also given recognition during the event.

Filipino-inspired Dance Lesson

As part of a culture fusion series, students representing a particular country has an opportunity to share something from their homeland and cultural heritage. This can be in the form of a dance, a song or anything that can be passed on.
The Acsenda community was recently treated to a showcase of Philippine folk dances with free lessons Filipino students in their native costumes.
Upcoming events in June will be announced soon and students can again look forward to exciting events that in one way or another can help broaden their experiences.