“I never thought that my job would be to become friends with people. Every day, that’s my main task, and I’m grateful for it!”
– Amy Saya, Student Life Intern, TWU Richmond
On a cold Friday afternoon in November, Amy Saya and her team are on a mission to warm up hearts.
“We’ll be delivering care packages one by one,” she said, speaking of a project she and her Student Life team have been planning all week.
Care packages consist of a neck pillow, face masks, homemade baked goods, and other friendly surprises.
Saya is a Student Life Intern with Trinity Western University’s Richmond campus. It’s her job to “make friends with people” and build community among the 800 students who study at TWU’s branch campus. She supports the dedicated Student Life team by coming alongside each of their initiatives to support the international student body.
The majority of TWU Richmond students are international students, and most do not have family members living in Canada.
“We feel that delivering a little touch of love will show them that we still care and that we want to be intentional (about community).”
Read TWU's story "Richmond teachers offering holiday cheer through gift bags" in Richmond News:
TWU in Richmond News
Simple gestures of kindness
Just one month into her role, Saya has already been baking for the students and creatively showing care from a distance.
“It’s quite a hoot!” she said of one baking session with another student leader who had never baked before. Saya enjoyed teaching others this popular Canadian activity of baking.
The TWU Richmond Student Life team enjoyed giving away the baked good as well.
“We believe it brings warmth, to be able to gift something that’s homemade, and it tastes yummy. It’s so sweet (of a gesture).”
These simple gestures could mean a lot in times of social distancing.
Special Christmas "Walk Thru" celebration
On Friday December 11, the Student Life team at TWU Richmond hosted a special, socially distanced Christmas "walk thru" event, where students could pick up baked goodies, gifts and balloons.
In a season when students spend a lot of time away from one another, studying online and through Zoom, it is a treat to meet others in person and share in the holiday cheer.
Student Life leaders set up long tables to display gifts that were pre-packaged and ready for pick-up. Floor arrows and dividers helped direct the flow of traffic and ensure both COVID-safety and gifting efficiency.
Caring across borders
Although Saya is “not a city person” she moved to Richmond’s busy urban centre so that she could “foster more community” with the students. In addition to crossing the country, Saya is serving across cultures as well. Although most students Saya works with are international students from Asia, Saya herself was born in Colombia and grew up in Canada.
She considers Spanish and English her dual first languages.
Working alongside Saya are a team of 12 other student leaders who run student clubs. This semester the clubs are operating online, and there are virtual meet ups for every hobby from karaoke singing, exercises, culture-learning, to cooking.
“It’s cool to get to know students intentionally,” Saya said. This can be a challenge these days with social distancing and other public health measures. Virtually all of TWU’s classes are online this semester, and Saya laments that students have not had the chance to drop by her office on campus.
“I have to try different ways to get to know these amazing students more,” she said.
With increasing public health measures, plans for building community life are sometimes disrupted. “Everyday things are changing,” Saya said. “But that’s OK. I think it promotes a lot of adaptability for this season.”
As a result, she and her team are working creatively to figure out how to better serve students this year. Delivering gifts, treats, and care packages are some of the ways that her team is doing this.
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Saya is not alone in her efforts. She shares how she is among a team of many caring Student Life staff at TWU Richmond. “Kim Chen and Vera Xiong often send encouraging notes and utilize WeChat to support the students on the daily,” Saya shared.
“Allan Kotanen and his wife Sylvia are the best givers of baked goods! They often drive to Richmond from Langley to deliver treats to students as well,” she added.
Chris Nash, Director of Campus Services at TWU Richmond, wonderfully demonstrated creativity and talent in serving the community when he performed a Christmas monologue, acting the part of a shepherd on the night of Jesus' birth.
It’s not always easy, in the midst of a pandemic. She confessed, “Boy is it hard! We’ll have to take breaths in between.”
Yet despite the challenges, Saya finds joy in what she does serving alongside the TWU Richmond Student Life team.
“I’ve been loving it so far,” she said.
And this much was clear from her bright tone and smile.
Amy Saya's tips for leading cross-culturally
1. Ask others about their language. Saya has found that seeking language advice is a great way to open up the conversation. “It shows a desire I have to immerse myself into their culture and learn the language.”
“Languages are beautiful,” she said. “They’re a great tool for passing cultural barriers.”
2. Another great way to cross cultures is through food. Some of the students Saya works with have been taking her to try new things -- including durian pizza, a variety of fruits and vegetables, and even pig feet soup!
3. Be present -- every moment counts. Even just by being present with others “for a few moments” can make a difference, Saya said. This year especially, she noted, people have the joy of sharing encouragement in both the mundane and grand moments of someone’s day.
Read this story in the RichmondSentinel.
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 five campuses and locations: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, Ottawa, and Bellingham, WA. 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.
For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca