The Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Student Council is in its second year, giving students the chance to share their experiences with the provincial government.
Two of the 24 students selected this year are currently attending Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Moose Jaw campus, and they spoke with Discover Moose Jaw about their appointments.
Altaf Iqbal Mansuri is currently completing his second year of a Business Management Post-Graduate Certificate after a previous program in Financial Services. He is the vice president of the Saskatchewan Polytechnic Students’ Association (SPSA) at the Moose Jaw Campus.
Mansuri first learned about the Saskatchewan Post-Secondary Student Council when he joined the SPSA, adding that his experience with the SPSA could be useful for his work on the council. “It will be a great opportunity to meet other student unions also, as well as other students who are selected in SPSC.”
“Really I’m very excited,” Mansuri said regarding his appointment to the council, adding “We can directly raise issues to the provincial level. We will raise issues of domestic students, as well as international students, and ensure that voices are heard at the provincial level.”
Mansuri said that one of the topics he would like to be discussed on the council is affordability, including housing.
Trynda Wilderman returned to post-secondary education after some time spent as a stay-at-home mom and is in her second year as a Psychiatric Nursing student. While at school, she’s focusing on working at several organizations to get different experiences.
She said she learned about the council last spring. “I had reached out to a school representative and asked what it entailed and what they were looking for, and from there I filled out the application and was nominated.”
She said she’s excited to work with students from other institutions and gain insights on their experiences. “I think it’s really important to talk about the different cultures of students going through post-secondary education right now, as well as mature students.”
“I’m a mature student myself, so it’s a little bit more challenging coming back to post-secondary as a mature student than it is fresh out of high school. I’m hoping to focus on some of those topics and see how we can make going into post-secondary a little bit easier and accessible for more people.”
The council will come together for their first meeting in November.