​VP Student Affairs - Candidates​

Sophia Pei

BIO
 
Hi! I'm Sophia. I was born in Vancouver but grew up in the small beachside town of Santa Monica, California. This is my first time living in Ontario, so I hope to create a sense of community here. A bit about my educational background, I studied Quantitative Biology (a fancy way of saying computer science and biology) at the University of Southern California. One of my favorite parts of my college experience was being able to teach science to elementary school kids of the local community and tutor my peers in biology and physics! A slightly horrifying fact about me: I now watch all videos at 1.5x speed, including shows I watch for leisure on Netflix. That said, I also enjoy spending my time reading, baking, and cuddling with cats (:
 
PLATFORM
 
I would love to be the VP of Student Affairs. I have worked for 3 years as a resident assistant where I learned how to engage in intentional interactions and make the dorms a second home to my freshmen. I would love to use those skills to create community here in McMaster Medicine. This is my first time living so far from home (and my first time in Ontario) so I can really empathize with the struggles of adjusting to this exciting and terrifying phase of life. I aim to create a welcoming, fun space for my peers. One way I hope to do this is to promote student-organized events and integrate them with wellness objectives. As a RA, I know what the wonders of free food and goodies can do in promoting happiness on campus and I fully plan on advocating for that.

Megan Brookbank

BIO
 
Hey everyone!! Thank you for taking the time to read a little bit about me! My name is Megan Brookbank, and I am running for VP Student Affairs. Advocacy, mental health & wellness, and mentorship are huge passions of mine, which is why I am SO excited to run for council. Outside of medicine, I love animals, traveling, taking pictures, and cooking. And I have a firm belief that you don’t need to be good at your hobbies! :) Before coming to Mac, I studied Neuroscience at McGill. During my time there, I served as the VP Secretary of Neuroscience Council where I was responsible for organizing social events and implementing an undergraduate mentorship program. I also led the Local Initiatives Committee, advocating for and creating initiatives to serve vulnerable populations. Now, I hope to be a voice for YOU, working to improve the student experience in any way that I can. 

​PLATFORM
As VP Student Affairs, I hope to promote a learning environment where reaching out for help is the norm, not the exception. We all should feel supported and uplifted by the resources and opportunities at McMaster. I will work towards this vision by concentrating on the following three avenues:
​
Pre-Clerkship Bonding
• Implement engaging and inclusive bonding events for first and second year students in the pre-clerkship mentorship program to foster meaningful connections between upper and lower years <3

​Advocating for Mac Med
​• Serve as a voice for our unique needs as a 3-year medical program to ensure equitable access to student wellness initiatives and opportunities for career exploration among CFMS and OMSA

Increasing Approachability
• Work closely with the Student Affairs team to increase comfortability around making Wellness, Career, or Learning Assistance counselling appointments
• Initiate informal Meet & Greet events for students to learn more about the role of Student Affairs

Leo Morjaria

BIO
 Hi everyone my name is Leo! The first and most important thing you should know about me is that I am a huge nerd. I did my undergrad in Mathematics at the University of Waterloo and actually, somewhat, enjoyed it. Before coming to Mac, I worked at bank and was a stereotypical Finance Bro. Thankfully, I have seen the error of my ways and could not be happier to be in medical school. I cannot wait to spend the next three years (possibly more) with all of you! In my free time I like to binge The Office, go for boba with my sister and walk my dog. TLDR: I am a fun loving nerd!
 
PLATFORM
 My name is Leo and I would be honoured to be your VP of Student Affairs! Over the last month, I have been amazed at how helpful and kind every single one of you is. You have all disproved every toxic medical student stereotype. Because of this, my platform is simple: I want McMaster c2025 to prove that collaboration is far more effective than competition. As your VP of Student Affairs, I would spend my days organizing professional events, wellness workshops and mentorship opportunities to help foster a sense of community and prevent student burnout. I know the path to get to medical school has been filled with competition, but I truly believe that by supporting instead of competing with each other, we can prove that students can enjoy medical school, help each other, have a personal life and still crush CaRMS and become incredible doctors! TLDR: Teamwork makes the dream work!