Meet Kevin Chai, a fourth-year business major specializing in accounting finance and marketing. On track to graduate spring 2022, somehow he’s able to juggle multiple leadership roles at TWU.
For Kevin, it all stems from a passion to serve his peers and enhance their undergraduate experience through connection and community.
Originally from Xi’an, China, Kevin came to Canada in 2015 to attend a private Christian high school in the Greater Vancouver area. He knows what it’s like to live life abroad at a young age. It’s what prompted him to give of his time and talents to support other students when he became a student at TWU.
“I know there are a lot of people like me who are isolated at home. They need a sense of community. That’s what motivated me,” says Kevin.
Commuting to the Langley campus for classes, Kevin started organizing off-campus events in his second year for students in similar situations. His purpose as network coordinator was simple: to make sure no student felt alone. He wanted students living off-campus like himself to have a sense of community beyond the classroom.
“I know there are a lot of people like me who are isolated at home. They need a sense of community. That’s what motivated me.”
The door then opened for Kevin to serve as Programmer for TWU’s Intercultural Programs (ICP), which puts on events for international students so they can make new friends, get support, and celebrate diversity. This year Kevin accepted additional responsibilities when he transitioned to the role of ICP Assistant.
A memorable highlight for Kevin was the Spring Festival in February 2020, a blended online and in-person event that had 200 people in attendance. The successful execution and positive feedback from attendees spurred Kevin on to do more.
However, the global pandemic, and all the health regulations that came with it, thwarted some of Kevin’s plans to host in-person events last year.
“I’d spend several weeks planning for events, and then a new rule would come out and all the planning was gone,” he says.
These challenges didn’t diminish Kevin’s passion and calling. He simply embraced the opportunity to think outside the box to ensure the student community’s needs could still be met. He began planning safe events through multiple restriction changes. And after TWU Access was launched to support student learning both online and on-campus, he became a chapter coordinator and organized all sorts of virtual events to continue growing and strengthening the student community.
In addition to all of this, Kevin also serves as the president of two student clubs at TWU: the Student Business Association and the Trinity Accounting Association.
Through the Student Business Association, a group he has been with for three years now, Kevin organizes one or two events per month that help students progress through their business degree, connect with professors as well as with businesses and organizations outside of TWU.
After he graduates next year, Kevin plans to pursue roles in finance. But he knows that no matter where his career leads him, he will do much more than just help businesses grow. He wants to stay focused on helping people.
Giving of his time is just at the heart of who Kevin is, especially since giving his life to Christ in 2018.
As we approach Giving Tuesday, let’s pause to appreciate all the ways that Kevin and other servant-leaders at TWU use their time and skills to shape a culture of care and compassion.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is Canada’s premier Christian liberal arts university dedicated to equipping students to establish meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. It is a fully accredited research institution offering liberal arts and sciences, as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four campuses: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. TWU emphasizes academic excellence, research, and student engagement in a vital faith community committed to forming leaders to have a transformational impact on culture. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.