I got involved with NAITSA because I really enjoy meeting new people and trying new things. I have attended many NAITSA events such as many virtual game nights and trivia nights. Being on-campus, however, I’ve found out that there is an equal variety, if not more, events going on throughout the entire school year.
My involvement with NAITSA has been wonderful and so much fun. I’ve had nothing but positive interactions. The staff and volunteers are very kind and helpful people who add to the experience every time. The staff are truly amazing and make post-secondary a very unique experience.
During the COVID lockdown, virtual events were able to give students a chance to practice and become more familiar with Teams, Zoom and other online meeting platforms. Virtual events have also given students the chance to still be connected and have the student experience. In the post-lockdown stage of the pandemic, being back in-person allowed NAITSA to have more variety of events, including Nestfest in September. Students feel more involved and connected to NAIT with in-person events versus staring at a screen for hours. Students now have more options to do in-person and virtual events if they want.
Being involved with NAITSA events has helped my mental health more than my physical. Attending these events has helped me meet new people, try new things like karaoke and learn new games during the game nights. These things have helped me feel a part of the community, feel less worried and given me some time to connect with other people and be myself. For my physical health, the events I’ve attended have mostly involved the walk there. Volunteering with NAITSA has been more physical and has gotten me moving.
Students can get involved with NAITSA by attending events such as games nights on-campus,Nest Fest, the pajama party, career events such as the online job talks and many more. There are many reasonably priced events throughout the school year. Many of the events on-campus and virtual are included as part of your NAITSA fees.
There is also a great volunteer opportunity at NAIT in Ooks Crew! Their Ooks Life organization page explains that as part of the Ooks Crew team, you’ll “become part of an on-campus community, enhance your student life experience, build essential workplace and interpersonal skills, and demonstrate your talents, skills or hobbies.” Find out more information on Ooks Life.
At the most basic level, NAITSA benefits students by being a voice for students. Beyond that, it is many things. An advocate for students with administration, with the government and with the public. A friendly and accepting place for students to go and ask questions. A supplier of benefits and services for students. A catalyst for students to meet and take part in other aspects of NAIT they might not know about otherwise. Finally, I see NAITSA as a portal to a more diverse and nuanced experience at NAIT. There are many other aspects to NAITSA that benefit students and each student will have a different ranking of what means most to them.
Jason Baxter, former NAIT student
