Hello! My name is Simon Corazza, and I am a second year Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering student at the University of Alberta. I am running for the Vice President of Academics and Services position in the new and exciting Mechatronics and Robotics Discipline Club! I believe that my experience and ideas will foster an academic culture of excellence within the discipline, and achieve a balance between the challenge of a rigorous program, and the wellness of us, the students. As VP of Academics and Services, I would work diligently to achieve the following goals. 

Platform 

Advocate For a Reasonable Final Exam Schedule A packed exam schedule is often a reality for engineering students, which can lead to an overwhelming feeling for many. While I understand that this is a necessity for such an intensive program like ours, and that we will encounter such overwhelming feelings many times both inside and outside of our professional lives, I believe that it is unreasonable for us students to be expected to write 2 finals on both the first and second days of the exam period. Such an arrangement will only lead to unnecessary stress and underperformance amongst us students, many of which will work hard all semester to perform suboptimally due to such a dense arrangement of exams. If elected, I would work with professors and administrators to move at least one of those 4 exams, to improve the quality of life, as well as the overall learning experience for us students during the final exam period. 

Arrange Review Sessions with Professors/TA’s As someone who tutors high schoolers, and as someone who attended and appreciated many of the review sessions hosted by both professors and TA’s in first year engineering, I understand from both sides the profound impact that extracurricular review can have on a student’s understanding and intuition of a certain topic. If elected, I would make it a priority to cater to student’s academic needs, setting up review sessions to prevent large gaps in knowledge from forming, and to prepare students for upcoming exams.

Host Professional Development Nights 

I’ve always believed education is a means to an end, not an end itself. At the end of the day, our degree alone is not the guarantor of a dignifying and successful career, it's also about who we become and the character we develop along the way. As your VP of Academics and Services, I will arrange Professional Development Nights, where speakers will discuss methods and strategies to become the best engineering professionals you all can be! 

In running for Vice President of Academics and Services, my goal is to ensure that every student in our amazing discipline not only succeeds academically, but also feels supported and prepared along the way. By advocating for fair exam scheduling, creating meaningful review opportunities, and stimulating professional growth, I hope to contribute to a community that flourishes both inside and outside the academic setting. I am excited about the opportunity to serve you, and I would be honored to earn your support in helping build a culture of excellence, balance, and opportunity within the Mechatronics and Robotics Discipline Club.