Hi everyone! My name is Bryn, and I’m running to be your next VP Academic Junior. Over the past year, I’ve had the privilege of working closely with our current VP Academic Junior as their assistant. In this role, I’ve sat in on meetings with various faculty and student committees, helped organize Career Night, and am currently planning an academic transition event for first years. These experiences have given me insight into the role of VP Academic Junior—and more importantly, they’ve made me incredibly excited about the opportunity to contribute even more to our academic environment. I’ve always believed that strong academics (i.e., reaching out potential!) require strong support systems. If elected, I will be a dedicated liaison between our student body and faculty committees. It’s so important that student perspectives are heard and integrated at all levels of academic decision-making. Therefore, I will work to ensure efficient and transparent communication of updates to and from the various faculty bodies whose meetings I will be a part of to help keep everyone in the loop, for instance in the event of curricular changes. As someone with a deep passion for mental health advocacy and a background in music performance, I also believe that well-being and balance are essential components of academic success. I’ve led national youth mental health initiatives, served as a peer mentor for students navigating recovery from mental illness, organized community programming and spoken at large youth conferences across the country. I will bring this lens to my work in VP Academic Junior, advocating for academic systems that support us in the various unique facets of our lives. I also believe in strengthening the bridge between medicine and research. I’ve worked in basic and clinical research settings, and I want to make these opportunities more accessible to students at all stages. I’d love to work on initiatives like peer-led research panels, transparent guidance on getting involved in research, and highlighting a wider diversity of pathways that align with each of our unique career goals. Finally, I want to help enhance the ways we connect with residents, physicians and upper year students. Whether it’s through more structured mentorship opportunities, informal Q&A events, or contributing to events like career night, I want to build connections that ease our transition into clerkship and beyond. These relationships can provide inspiration that we might not find in our learning objectives. If elected as VP Academic Junior, I promise to bring the same energy and passion that I’ve brought to every leadership and advocacy position I’ve held until now! I will listen to your concerns, advocate for your needs, and work hard to create academic spaces where we can all thrive. Thank you for considering me for this role—I’d be honoured to represent you :). Warmly, Bryn