Meghan Vella: Working for Lakehead since 2018!
We appreciate the hard work that Lakehead staff puts into making the University run smoothly. As students, we often don’t think about what happens behind the scenes while we are sitting in class. Lakehead staff deserve some recognition for making Lakehead what it is today. Students that are employees at Lakehead, while being full-time students, may quite literally be Lakehead experts and can answer any questions you may have about the school.
Meghan Vella (she/her) is in her first year with the Faculty of Education here at Lakehead and currently holds the position of Student Success Centre Assistant. She explained, “ I work on providing orientation to campus tours, planning orientation events and programming, as well as programs and events throughout the semester that engage students socially and academically. It is also collaborative in the way that I am able to work alongside other departments to host and plan events for students.”
Since starting at Lakehead, she has held four positions! She started as a Lakehead library assistant, where she was able to help students sign out materials, access the WiFi and printers on campus, and provide assistance with general queries about the library and the multiple services it offers students. Afterward, she became an undergraduate recruitment office assistant, conducting campus tours to prospective students and working alongside the recruitment team to schedule in-school visits for secondary schools to promote the University. Finally, as if she couldn’t add more to her Lakehead resume, Meghan was a bookstore associate for our beloved Lakehead Orillia bookstore. She helped students access their course materials, get their student cards, and sold them merchandise and textbooks. If any of the above jobs caught your eye, Meghan is happy to chat more and provide further details on each position while also getting you connected to your position of interest!
Here is the email address to contact her: oroient@lakeheadu.ca.
Meghan was quick to mention, “I love working for the school. Not only is it convenient, but I get to support my peers in any way that I can!”
I asked Meghan if she had one piece of advice for students in relation to student support, what would she emphasize the importance of? She mentioned that, “ with midterms, final projects, and exams around the corner, there are tons of support available to you at Lakehead to assist you with planning and preparing for these big assignments. We offer subject-based tutoring, as well as the Writing Centre service that provides you with assistance writing academic papers and citing information properly. Throughout the semester, the Academic Support Zone offers a wide range of workshops and sessions pertaining to study skills, exam preparation, and academic integrity, that are really valuable, free and I highly recommend students check out and use them.”
Many of Lakehead’s Academic Support opportunities get overlooked. Take a look into these supports if you find yourself needing extra help. Staff and students alike are more than willing to help you; it’s a team effort!
Personally, I really wish I was made known of all these opportunities from the beginning when I started my time here at Lakehead. It is clear that Meghan’s persistent motivation to promote what Lakehead has to offer is affecting those around her positively. Her persistent motivation will continue to be a great asset of hers when she explores her future career choice! I’ll leave you with a quotation that stood out to me when I spoke with Meghan. She says, “ it is so important as a university student to try and maintain a work/life balance. Don’t forget to have fun; join us on student appreciation day and Festivus. We want to interact and support you all!”
Keep reaching for the stars, Meghan!