Meaghan Sullivan is the Vice President External for the Athabasca University Students’ Graduate Union. We talk to her about her background, goals, and more.
What brought you to AU?
AU is quite popular in Northern Alberta, has a great reputation, and so I initially learned of AU quite some years ago. When looking for a Masters’ program that suited our travelling lifestyle, AU was the number one choice. The community of students has been wonderful, I have developed a lot of personal connections over the course of my program, and I’m enjoying the experience!
What is the last book you read?
School: Corporate Finance, Third Canadian Edition (Berk, DeMarzo, and Stangeland, 2015).
Leisure: The last book I read within the last couple of weeks was The Winners Guide to Optimist Sailing (Gary Jobson and Jay Kehoe) as we look for ways to support our 12-year-old son on improving his sailing performance.
What show do you think everyone should binge watch?
Brooklyn Nine Nine and/or Game of Thrones (obvious, right?).
Why did you choose to run for AUGSA council?
I felt there had to be sometime more I could do to contribute personally to the AU community. I wanted to become more involved, more connected. I enjoy working with other students and I am a firm believer in education so the opportunity to run for council really fit me as a person. Being a part of AUGSA has been a wonderful enhancement to my personal journey through my grad program, and my overall experience with Athabasca University.
What are your academic goals for 2018?
I will be taking my first set of electives and I’m looking forward to tailoring my MBA program to meet the needs of my career goals. I look forward to courses in Project Management, Technology, and Learning & Performance.
If you could have a meal with someone from history, who would it be?
Wow, so these two are of course still living, but they have both already made their mark on history so I will name them both: Michelle Obama for sure. Malala Youzafsai would also be pretty incredible to speak to.
What is one thing you would like to complete personally in 2018?
I plan to learn how to sail with my first lesson beginning in June. I’m also looking to reignite my volunteer involvement and am just about to embark on a new journey as a Leader with Girl Guides Canada.
Since being elected, what are your hopes for the 2018/2019 term?
I hope we deliver a great research conference this year. I feel that research is an important aspect of the graduate level experience, so I’m excited to see how wonderfully the conference unfolds.
