This week we took a look at the hectic world of the lovely Kelly Burke!
What year and program are you in?
I’m in my 4B term of Arts and Business, psychology major and I’m also in co-op.
What was it like being a member of the Federation Orientation Committee (FOC)?
It’s difficult to answer because being FOC is everything. Over the span of ten-ish months, we go through a rollercoaster of every possible feeling you can imagine. The week itself was both stressful and life-giving, humbling and empowering, an absolute whirlwind. For me, I really tried to bask in the small things. One day I was curled up on one of the Boar Tribe couches, semi-napping, and we had about a dozen first years just walk in the tent and talk to Tribe. You could tell that they were super comfortable. That’s how I knew I did my job right.
Did you have a specific role or was it a collaborative effort of all the FOC members?
It’s a bit of both. I worked with two other undergrad arts students to plan the week for Arts (we were all Arts FOC.) We each had our own domains that we were “in charge of.” But there was also a LOT of cross-collaboration to make sure we got everything done to the best of our abilities. That said, I was in charge of leader management. This means that anything that happened with our leaders went through me. My two biggest roles were communications and planning leader retreats. I was the one making sure that leaders knew everything that they needed to know to function during the week and that their teams bonded ahead of time. During the week itself, I was a lifeline for leaders, and also helped largely with events.
How would you describe Orientation week experience as a member of the FOC compared to as a first year?
Funny enough, it was way easier as a FOC, at least for me. When I got to Waterloo I had a hard time adjusting. I had a really strong friend group in my hometown and I only knew a few people here. That hit me hard. I eventually had a good time, but it took a few days. Fast forward a few years, and as FOC, I was so much more confident. I knew so many people, I knew what was going on every second of every day, and most of all I knew that I belonged at Waterloo.
What else have you been involved with since you started school at Waterloo?
I’ve held other roles in Orientation. I’ve been involved since first year, volunteering in a couple Psychology labs, taken part in and helped run a Peer Mentorship Program for my faculty, and I run the Improv Club…the latter is my favourite.
What exactly is the improv club?
In a few words, we make everything up. In more words, improv is about working as a team to take an audience suggestion and turn it into a story. We have the club, and we also have a smaller competitive team who auditions at the start of each term. The team goes into improv more intensively, meets extra hours every week, and performs across campus and across the province. It sounds cheesy, but it’s also a lot about building yourself as a person. A lot of who I am is thanks to improv. I should add there’s more that goes into improv that meets the eye. It isn’t just rambling on whenever you’re on stage. It’s about making and taking offers to and from other players, and knowing exactly HOW to build a story that people can believe and identify with. It’s about making a story that makes people care. One more thing, at its core, it’s a safe space. You can make a mistake, and everyone still applauds and wants you to succeed. It’s an incredibly supportive community.
What are your responsibilities as the club’s president?
I co-pres the club with Lexa Michaelides. We’re responsible for guiding the club and the competitive team and deciding how each will be run. For the club, we meet every Monday from 7 pm-9 pm and run members through warm-ups and games to teach improv, and just to have a good time. We also have a team of three executives that we manage.
What inspires you to be so involved in the UW community?
I think it’s super important to do more than just classes while you’re in University. For me, these 5 years have been not only about learning, but about building myself into who I am today. I’d like to think that I’ve built myself into a strong person, and I like being able to give that opportunity to other people!
What do you like to do in your spare time?
Does improv count? It’s one of the things that I do because I get genuine enjoyment out of it. Otherwise, it’s really just the run-of-the-mill kinda stuff; spending time with friends and the more than occasional Netflix marathon. Nothing extraordinary, and that suits me just fine. “Spare time” is a funny thing as a student, because I can’t remember the last time I had a legitimate moment of “I have nothing I could be doing.” But do I take loads of breaks? Absolutely.
What do you plan to do once you graduate?
I’m going to work for a year, and probably look into a masters after that. Currently I’m looking at U of T’s joint masters in Social Work and Health administration.
What life lessons did you learn during your university career?
The people around you have such a big impact on your experiences. Finding “your people” is super important and you can have multiple different groups of “your people.” For me, that’s all about finding people who pull out your different favourite aspects of yourself. Also, that things won’t always work out in the moment, and that’s okay. Eventually they WILL work out.
What advice, if any, would you give your first-year self?
For the love of God, don’t let people suck you into horror movie marathons during exams. But also, to just relax. Things will work out, things that you’ll never expect you’ll want or need but they’ll make life so much better