Kerry Yang |
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Running for:
VP External, VP EDI
About me:
My name is Kerry Yang and I went to undergrad at Mac, but grew up in Northern Ontario! I love talking to people, and did it professionally working at a science centre throughout high school. Unfortunately, that was not a viable long term career pathway so I did a bachelors of health sciences with a minor in community engagement. Throughout undergrad, I was involved in the student union, leading municipal advocacy for 30,000+ students, such as delegating at city council and with MP/MPPs, as well as creating the Explore Hamilton passport with the City of Hamilton. I’ve also sat on OUSA, the OMSA equivalent for undergraduate students, working with students across Ontario to lobby student interests and needs. I’m well versed in advocacy, lobbying, policy, and professional talking. I take the responsibility of representing students seriously– and would leverage the trust and relationships I’ve built to support UGME students!
My platform:
If you’re not overwhelmed by the acronyms, classes, or tutorials that are constantly coming your way, then it wouldn’t be medical school. My platform as a VP External is to bring you experiences outside of medical school, whether it's connecting you to opportunities from OMSA, CFMS, or external organizations. I will also leverage my advocacy experience to lobby changes relating to OSAP, rental protections, loan forgiveness, and more, at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. As a passionate Hamiltonian, I also hope to strengthen municipal engagement, connecting students to events and businesses in the city as well as empowering students to be informed and engaged citizens, especially coming into a municipal election year. Finally, as VP External, I hope to bring UGME representation to the Hamilton Post-Secondary Advisory Group, which is a lobbying channel with our MP John Paul Danko for post-secondary institutions in Hamilton.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
Coming from Northern Ontario, I have had a lot of firsthand experience navigating challenges related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. I’ve learnt that leading with an EDI focus requires humility, that my own lived experience is not everyone’s, and that you need courage to learn and make mistakes to represent everyone’s lived experiences. I always aim to listen, before speaking, and recognize the limits of my positionality. This is especially important for a role like VP external which requires the consideration and representation of all lived experiences. I will aim to bring the diversity of our class and program to my work as VP External, whether that’s in a lobby meeting or to medical student peers on OMSA or CFMS. I also recognize that integrating EDI into my leadership also means to have grace for others, allowing people to make mistakes and fostering a culture of growth.
VP External, VP EDI
About me:
My name is Kerry Yang and I went to undergrad at Mac, but grew up in Northern Ontario! I love talking to people, and did it professionally working at a science centre throughout high school. Unfortunately, that was not a viable long term career pathway so I did a bachelors of health sciences with a minor in community engagement. Throughout undergrad, I was involved in the student union, leading municipal advocacy for 30,000+ students, such as delegating at city council and with MP/MPPs, as well as creating the Explore Hamilton passport with the City of Hamilton. I’ve also sat on OUSA, the OMSA equivalent for undergraduate students, working with students across Ontario to lobby student interests and needs. I’m well versed in advocacy, lobbying, policy, and professional talking. I take the responsibility of representing students seriously– and would leverage the trust and relationships I’ve built to support UGME students!
My platform:
If you’re not overwhelmed by the acronyms, classes, or tutorials that are constantly coming your way, then it wouldn’t be medical school. My platform as a VP External is to bring you experiences outside of medical school, whether it's connecting you to opportunities from OMSA, CFMS, or external organizations. I will also leverage my advocacy experience to lobby changes relating to OSAP, rental protections, loan forgiveness, and more, at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels. As a passionate Hamiltonian, I also hope to strengthen municipal engagement, connecting students to events and businesses in the city as well as empowering students to be informed and engaged citizens, especially coming into a municipal election year. Finally, as VP External, I hope to bring UGME representation to the Hamilton Post-Secondary Advisory Group, which is a lobbying channel with our MP John Paul Danko for post-secondary institutions in Hamilton.
How do you plan to ensure that EDI is integrated in your role(s)?
Coming from Northern Ontario, I have had a lot of firsthand experience navigating challenges related to equity, diversity, and inclusion. I’ve learnt that leading with an EDI focus requires humility, that my own lived experience is not everyone’s, and that you need courage to learn and make mistakes to represent everyone’s lived experiences. I always aim to listen, before speaking, and recognize the limits of my positionality. This is especially important for a role like VP external which requires the consideration and representation of all lived experiences. I will aim to bring the diversity of our class and program to my work as VP External, whether that’s in a lobby meeting or to medical student peers on OMSA or CFMS. I also recognize that integrating EDI into my leadership also means to have grace for others, allowing people to make mistakes and fostering a culture of growth.