What does it mean to you to be the head of Gzowski College?
This building has a deep meaning for me, and I spent a lot of my time in here. Some of the most meaningful relationships and the work that I feel really defines me was accomplished in this building. And now to be a part of it in this way is really quite extraordinary.
How do you view the success of the Gzowski College?
Success of the Gzowski College for me is not about looking at it as though it is just a yellow building but looking at it as a building of people, and of community.
And to be able to raise that community so that when we identify Gzowski College we think about people as opposed to just a building, that to me is a success of the college.
And what do you think students view the success of College as being?
To the student, success is when they know who their college head is and when they know who you are because you are engaged with what the students are doing. At the root of it all, success to students and to me is “ Community Building.”
Is there anything groundbreaking Gzowski is planning to initiate in the near future?
One of the things which is really going to be interesting that we are doing is an outreach program for at risk youth in the community called the ‘University One on One’.
It is not necessarily for university students, it is for students out there that may not already see themselves as having any university potentials or postsecondary potentials. This program would invite them to come for an eight-week program through Gzowski College.
It is to help them with their transition out of high school and into a university setting. It will be great way to reach out to the community. We are expecting it to unfold sometime in January.
What are the opportunities of this position?
Everything about this position is an opportunity for me. I have really worked hard to be here and this has really been a dream for me, so I don’t take it lightly.
Colleges took a huge shift when for the first time in their history, they hired a huge number of students, eight students for every College. This means that every idea we have, every program that we run is from the students. So my role here is to serve the students by networking with faculties, community members and staffs, which is a great opportunity for me.
Above all, the opportunity to help the students draw out their talents and every wonderful aspect within them and to help them shine with confidence.
I have noticed the effort you put to offer your visitors a cup of tea, talk about its significance?
When I have visitors in my office it is important for me to take the time to make tea. My Teacher and mentor, the late Lorne Ellingson, who taught in the Indigenous Studies Department at Trent, used to make tea before almost every meeting.
We had both been impacted from a Teaching given by Elder Michael Thrasher, which states: “A relationship is a thousand cups of tea”. Each time someone comes into my office we are building our relationship. The time and detail it takes to make the tea is symbolic of the time and detail that goes into building a relationship.
Enjoying the pot of tea together is related to the sharing that takes place within the relationship and the community. I want all of my conversation with students, staff, and faculty to feel meaningful and authentic.
What I know to be true is nothing is more meaningful and authentic than the conversations I have with others while drinking tea together.
Tell us something you would proudly share with the Trent community?
It was the summer before I began my journey as a Trent student. Like many other first year students as I wait, having a difficult time transition into university, during this time my Dad and a group of his friends and colleagues went on a fishing trip.
While there, my Dad happened to mention that his daughter would be attending Trent University in the fall. From the fishing site beside them a man approached him. The man pulled out his business card and wrote a little note on it and asked my Dad to give it to me. When he came home, he told me he had met someone who worked at Trent, who was very enthusiastic about my attending in the fall. He handed me the business card. It read:
“Dear Lindy, Welcome to Trent. If you ever need anything, please come and see me”. It was signed T.H.B. Symons.
Final word?
Peter Gzowski College is a place where the head, heart, and hands of learning can be championed and explored. We are youthful, curious, and invested in the academic passions and learning journeys of our students. The College is a community of support, leadership, and celebration. It brings me great joy to be a part of Trent in this way. It honours me to continue to serve the student body with meaningful, intentional, and heartfelt contribution.
