​​Gurleen Kaur Deol: Candidate for president

Gurleen Kaur Deol is an international student who is excited to run for president as it is the first ample opportunity she said she has had since immigrating from Canada. She plans to use her position to make a change.

If elected president of the SA, Kaur Deol’s number one priority is to create an atmosphere of inclusion at the college. Her goal is to create spaces on both campuses that are more accessible for all students. She believes she can do this by creating more international exchange programs and celebrating holidays and traditions of all ethnicities and cultures more frequently. 

Kaur Deol said she promises to be a leader with a listening ear to hear changes students want to make and problems they are facing. She also wants students to know of all the resources available to them and to have their voices heard at a greater level.

Prachi Ravi Chawla: Candidate for president

After being elected vice president of external affairs last year, Prachi Ravi Chawla is taking a step forward in her journey to make a change by running for president. 

If Ravi Chawla is elected, she said she intends to make the campus more innovative, impactful, and inclusive, whether advocating for a mental health space or listening to students’ day-to-day needs by hearing their voices. She also wants to ensure every student feels safe and happy when they come to the college. 

If elected president, Ravi Chawla hopes to advocate for the launch of a buddy program where international students are paired with domestic students so everyone can explore each other’s culture through dance, music, and food. She also proposes creating a committee for international and domestic students to raise issues and concerns they see at the college.

Joshua Malam: Candidate for president

After sitting on the SA board for two years and stepping into a term position as vice president of academic in the spring of 2021, running for president was the next step for Joshua Malam.

Malam said he loves the college, and he hopes to give back to the institution and, in turn, its students through thinking outside the box. He wants to make sure all students are heard, and he said he would do his best to follow through on these things if elected.

Some of the improvements Malam is committed to making if elected are improving the food bank by increasing the time it is available to students, and improving open education resources by making them more accessible for students. He hopes to start this project by finding ways to improve the library through philanthropy and partnerships.

Melinda Yanick: VP internal candidate

Already a part of the SA team in a term position as the student club’s manager, the next step for Melinda Yanick is to run for vice president of internal. Yanick did not make any promises in her campaign. Instead, she believes in being honest and genuine from the start, she said in her campaign video.

Some main goals for Yanick are to listen to students first, to be honest on when she can make something happen, when she can’t, and when she needs to find an alternative solution that can still have a positive outcome.

Mohitpreet Kaur: VP internal candidate

As an international student ambassador, Mohitpreet Kaur has practice interacting with new students and is ready to take the next step by running for vice president academic. As a candidate for vice president academic, Kaur understands her responsibility to ensure academic success and advocate for student scholarships, she said in her campaign video.

Kaur’s primary goals are to put her best efforts forward and ensure all students have equal opportunities by being unbiased and impartial in her opinions. One of the projects she plans to tackle is to create more scholarships for students who are actively volunteering.

Jagnoor Singh Sandhu: VP external affairs candidate

Jagnoor Singh Sandhu has always found connecting and meeting new students rewarding, so running for vice president of external affairs was a way he could do that professionally, he said. If he is elected,  he plans to help students by getting their issues and problems to the SA quickly.

Although he doesn’t have any campaign promises, he said he will fulfill his duties, do his job to the best of his ability, and take charge of all the responsibilities assigned to him. 

A primary goal for Singh Sandhu to tackle if elected is to ensure all ethnicities and cultures can host events that celebrate where they come from by bridging communities together. Equity and diversity are critical values for Singh Sandhu that he said he plans to carry through the position.

Jahanvi Sharma: VP external affairs candidate An international student from India, Jahanvi Sharma, said she noticed her community’s issues when she came to the college. In her view, running for vice president of external affairs is a way to educate others and help be a voice for her community. One of Sharma’s key promises in her campaign is to increase events in the college and promote new possibilities for all the students. She said she also hopes to increase student engagement. Another priority for Sharma is listening to students’ opinions to discover what they are missing and want to see at the college.

How to vote

The best way to vote in the upcoming election is online between March 27 and 29. For students unfamiliar with the voting platform and how it works, disruption booths at both campuses will be set up to help them navigate through the election process using a provided laptop or a QR with their phone. To learn more about the candidates, voters can visit https://rrcsa.ca/elections/ to watch their campaign videos.