This article is part of a series focusing on recipients of Dalhousie's 2020 Board of Governors' Awards 鈥� the university's top student life achievement award.
One of Sandra Sunil's many volunteer gigs in high school was as a greeter to incoming patients at the emergency room of her local hospital in Charlottetown, PEI.
Though there wasn鈥檛 much to the work beyond smiling and saying hello to people, the experience left a deep impression on the then-future Dalhousie student.
鈥淚 remember this one senior came up to me and was saying, 鈥楾hank you for being here. Smiles like yours make it a little bit better being in the ER,鈥� she recalls now, years later.
鈥淭hat really put things into perspective for me to show that simply smiling helps in people鈥檚 everyday lives. Imagine how much more we can do and help others if we take a little bit of a bigger step.鈥�
And that鈥檚 just what she鈥檚 done since arriving at Dal in the fall of 2016, enacting positive change as a passionate leader, community builder, and equity advocate through a range of organizations from student societies and residence council to the Dalhousie Student Union and Halifax community groups.
Creating connections
Sandra's leadership at Dal 鈥� for which she has already received numerous awards 鈥� has given her an intimate glimpse into some of the vulnerabilities of different groups on campus and spurred her to step up and help improve conditions for students where gaps exist.
"Everyone does their own thing, people are in different departments or in different buildings,鈥� she says. 鈥淲ith both residence and Faculty activities, I have been able to get involved to make sure that people know who they are going to classes with and who they are living with potentially. It鈥檚 nice to have that sense of community because it makes you feel like you鈥檙e not alone.鈥�
It鈥檚 a sense of belonging that Sandra herself has sought out and found over the years by getting involved in different communities as her family moved from place to place. Born and raised in Dubai until she was eight years old, Sandra first moved to Canada (to Edmonton) with her parents 鈥� originally from India 鈥� as they sought out new opportunities. When her mother, a health care worker, took a job in Charlottetown in 2011, her family once again picked up and moved to a new place.
Sandra鈥檚 connections to her community in Charlottetown have remained strong during her years at Dal, and in late 2018 she started 鈥� a non-profit community group that she calls her 鈥榩assion project.鈥� The group helps disadvantaged families on the island as they cope with food insecurity and other challenges.
Meaning through service to others
The level of Sandra鈥檚 commitment to 4 Love 4 Care and her community shines through even now as she works from her family鈥檚 home to finish a combined honours degree in Neuroscience and Political Science amid COVID-19. The group, which typically hosts a monthly community dinner for more than 100 (supplied with food by her father鈥檚 catering business), is now offering free prepared food delivery to those in need as in-person meals are cancelled.
With an interest in a career in public health that combines her love of both science and governance, Sandra plans to apply to medical school in the near future 鈥� another step in her quest to help others.
鈥淭here鈥檚 one philosophy that I really live by, and I鈥檝e gotten that from my parents and seeing how hard they鈥檝e worked. Both of my parents say, 鈥業f you can help one person in this world, then your life has meaning.鈥� That has really stayed with me throughout the years for as long as I can remember. Everything I do has revolved around that.鈥�
The Board of Governors Award recognizes exceptional contributions or leadership in the extracurricular realm in such areas as university governance, development of a dense of community on campus, community service, internationalizing the campus, visual or performing arts, minority access and athletics. Recipients are chosen by a committee consisting of the President, three members of the Board of Governors and the Vice-Provost Student Affairs.