With the nominations period now over, it’s time to choose which candidate you want to represent the First Year Engineers.
Below you will find the personal description and platform of each candidate running for the position.
Visit webvote.engr.uvic.ca/ to vote before Friday October 1st at Midnight!
If you have any questions, feel free to email our VP Internal, Alexanda, at essvpinternal@engr.uvic.ca
Armaan Ahmed
Personal Description
I am a keen observer and a good listener. I know how to connect with people and people find it
easy to approach me. Therefore, with all these qualities I can bridge the gap between the council and
first–year students. I am also good at team management and can therefore be very helpful in organizing
and conducting events.
Platform Description
I am looking forward to meeting people with different cultural values and putting my best foot
forward towards incorporating all of them in this diverse community of future engineers. I aim to boost
my understanding of challenges one faces while completing their degree (because one single point of
reference is not sufficient to completely define the problems faced by engineering students, both in
personal life and academics). Lastly, it’s a great way to connect with different peer groups.
Abbie Israel–Armand
Personal Description
As STEM students, we are often reduced to our major. As much as most of us identify with the
fact that we study the sciences (I sure do), we are so much more than that! I’m a first–year aspiring
Mechanical Engineering student, but I am also a musician, an artist, a chocolate milk enthusiast, a
leader, a lover, and an advocate. Some of my favourite past leadership positions include: LGBTQ+ club
coordinator, Royal Canadian Air Cadet flight commander, and leadership–club member. As first–year
representative, I hope to bridge the gap between my love of leadership and my passion for learning!
Platform Description
As a female engineering student, I believe diverse representation in the sciences to be incredibly
important. As the first–year representative in the Engineering Students’ Society, I hope to help provide a
space for all voices to be heard. I will strive to represent all first–years, no matter who you are or what
your story is. Working to build a connected, thriving first–year cohort is a priority of mine. On top of that,
I experience great joy working behind the scenes to create exciting/rewarding activities and
opportunities for my peers. In the past I have helped organize fundraisers, community clean–ups, and
recreational activities for students. As first–year rep, I hope to do all of this and more as I learn about our
unique group of brilliant individuals, and how I can best serve everyone!
Sarah Keegan
Personal Description
Hi! My name is Sarah Keegan and I am running for the first year engineering representative
position. I’m from Calgary and I love being outdoors and going hiking and camping. I have been a part of
student council for several years in school and I love to collaborate with other people to work together
towards a common goal. I am interested in being the first year representative because I enjoy solving
problems and teamwork and I think that this position would encompass both. I am super excited to
meet and get to know everyone so please come say hi!
Platform Description
As the first year representative, I will get to know fellow students and voice your requests to the
council to help make improvements that matter to you. In terms of specific goals, I will help increase the
diversity of engineering students and assure that all students feel welcome in engineering at UVic. I will
also work to remove barriers (both physical and not) that are restricting some students’ success. My goal
is for every student to feel valued and appreciated and for me to be able to help represent my fellow
students with their desired changes. Specifically I would like to discuss with my peers the most
important topics to them. I am happy to talk about engineering related issues or more broad and
complex challenges such as racial discrimination. I will assure that concerns you raise to me will be
addressed with my wholehearted effort to come up with the best solution possible. Being the first year
engineering representative is about representing all the first year engineering students and I will always
be happy to chat about anything on your mind to help the ESS be the best it can be for you. Please feel
free to contact me with any questions or just to say hi. My email is skeegan2625@gmail.com and my
Instagram is @sarah_keegan_
Sam Morrow
Personal Description
Hey everyone! My name is Sam, and I am the sitting ESS Secretary running to become your First
Year Representative. I have extensive experience in leadership; in Grade 12 I was my school’s Grad
Council President, Debate Captain, and Interact Club President. In these positions, I successfully hosted
jeopardy and chess tournaments, movie nights, fundraisers, and more. Additionally, as a member of the
British Columbia Youth Parliament, I sat on the Gala organization committee. Above all, I am a strong
proponent of a healthy social environment being integral to any capacity of success
Platform Description
The key to any representative council’s success is a platform that is actionable, measurable, and flexible.
Under this principle, I have developed three main pillars from which the First Year Council (FYC) will be
directed. These three pillars, consisting of “Socials”, “Success”, and “Support”, contain both general and
specific goals, ensuring both flexibility and measurability of action.
Pillar 1: Socials
– The FYC will regularly host social events such as movie nights, paint nights, skating, etc. The exact
events will be decided by the FYC with the support of and through collaboration with the general first
year engineering community.
– The FYC will host at least 1–2 of these events per month, as well as at least one significant first year
event for each semester.
Pillar 2: Success
– The FYC will regularly host academic–oriented events, such as tutoring sessions, final exam/midterm
review sessions, and eventually an Engineering Discipline Student Panel to help people pinpoint which
major they want to pursue.
– The FYC will also organize at least 1 information session about getting a summer coop for 2022.
Pillar 3: Support
– Mental health will be an ABSOLUTE priority of the FYC; the first year of University is renowned for its
stressfulness and workload.
– Each semester, the FYC will host at least one mental health event in collaboration with the various on–
campus mental health advocacy organizations, such as the Peer Support Centre or the Pet Café.
Ellie Walters
Personal Description
Hello everyone! My name is Ellie Walters, I am a first–year engineering student at Uvic. I have
held various positions in clubs such as the National Junior Honors Society, Computer Programming Club
as well as Model United Nations and most recently this summer have been a sailing instructor. I am
flexible, creative, goal oriented and work well in teams. I love to get to know people and look forward to
meeting more people this year back on campus.
Platform Description
My Priority is for everyone in first year engineering to feel as though they have a place in this
society of engineers. I want everyone to grow and succeed in their first year of engineering. My Priority
is to connect people together, through events and other social gatherings. Personally, I have a wide
variety of interests and passions, and feel as though I can connect to many types of people. My goal is to
band the first years together through our first year of engineering, so that everyone is overall successful
in their endeavours to become future engineers. One way I would achieve this goal would be help the
first year’s network with professors, older students, and the rest of the community.
Gabrielle Yuan
Personal Description
- Enjoy trying new things and learn things quickly
- Always keen to get involved outside of school
- A good listener who show respect to the speaker
- Always put myself in others’ shoes
- Find useful information online quickly
- Designed and painted a ceiling tile for my ap physics c class: needed to come up with multiple
ideas and listen to people’s opinions and advice (it’s the first painted tile in the classroom, so
very special!) - Worked at a scale–model–making firm, where teamwork is extremely crucia
Platform Description
If elected, some possible events that I’m thinking of organizing:
• movie night, painting night, board game night
To relax, socialize and escape from reality (unless you want to find the
coefficient of static friction of the table or something)
• sports day
Get a prize if you win!
• music night
If you play an instrument, it’s your time to shine! Others can just enjoy, chill out, (or do some
homework.)
• a birthday party each month for the people whose birthday are in that month
One more lap around the sun, happy birthday!
More ideas about events are always welcome!!
Also, I’m open to answering any questions that you (first years) may have, and most importantly, if you
have any concerns about or are struggling with something, please let me know. I’m here for you!
