Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies
Jess Dela Cruz wins SFSS Women of the Year award
Getting involved has been the key to Jess Dela Cruz鈥檚 success at SFU, to her wellbeing, and to winning a Simon Fraser Student Society鈥檚 (SFSS) Women of the Year award. The award is given to one self-identified women from each faculty for their hard work and dedication to the SFU community.
Dela Cruz is a second-year student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) who plans to major in English with a double minor in History and Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies. Beyond her role as a student, she鈥檚 become deeply involved with FASS.
In her second semester she volunteered as a mentor on the Burnaby campus helping incoming FASS students adjust to university life. Then in her second year she started work as the Engagement Programming Assistant for Arts Central.
Dela Cruz also volunteers as the FASS Representative of the Gender, Sexuality, and Women鈥檚 Studies Student Union (GSWSSU). To top it off, she鈥檚 written several news articles for The Peak and tutored with Friends of Simon, although her full schedule has caused her to scale back her contributions.
That whirlwind of activity is a far cry from Dela Cruz鈥檚 first few months at SFU which she recalls as a lonely time.
鈥淲hen I started at SFU it was really hard for me because I couldn鈥檛 find people that I could vibe with,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was hard for me to find a go-to person like I had at high school where I had lots of teachers to talk with.鈥�
But after diving in to the mentorship program, doors began to open for Dela Cruz. Her network grew and, within it, she found her community.
鈥淭oo many first-year students are scared to try something,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 totally normal, but there comes a point where you can鈥檛 just keep diving your nose in books and papers. As Engagement Programming Assistant I want to get people who are volunteering to take their learning outside the classroom and find something that they鈥檙e passionate about and work towards it. If they find something that they鈥檙e willing to achieve through volunteering and community service, they鈥檒l excel as students卢鈥攁nd as human beings.鈥�