Although Steven Dollansky has received a number of academic and leadership scholarships, it is his long list of volunteer and leadership activities at the University of Alberta and the community at large which led to him receiving the prestigious Lou Hyndman Edmonton Glenora Award.
You recently received the Lou Hyndman Edmonton Glenora Award-what does it mean to you?
The award means a great deal to me and I felt incredibly grateful when I found out that I had received the award! Dr. Hyndman's commitment to this University and the province has been exemplary and it is an honour to receive an award with his namesake. The Lou Hyndman Award is one of too few scholarships on campus that specifically recognizes the commitment that students make outside of the classroom - which I think is incredibly important. The experiences that I gained from my volunteer and leadership activities have provided me with many of the skills that I know I'll use over the course of my career.
You are currently Speaker of Student's Council for the University of Alberta Students' Union and in the past you have been involved with the Government of Alberta Student Finance Board, University of Alberta Board of Governors, Stollery Children's Hospital, Student Legal Services, and served as Vice-President (External) of the University of Alberta Students' Union. How do you chose the volunteer and leadership activities that you are involved in?
When I first came to the University of Alberta my focus was on finding a way for students like me, who were from smaller communities, to become involved with Edmonton organizations. While in my second year of studies I founded A-Link Volunteer Enhancement, a group that matched perspective volunteers with community groups based on personal interests and career goals. During the two years that I was president of the group we were able to match over 1,200 students with community groups.
It was in that role that I met many people who were involved in the Students' Union, which provided me with the opportunity to get involved more directly on campus. I served on various University and SU committees over the years that allowed me to advocate on behalf of students and to encourage students to take a more active interest in their campus community.
I believe that my volunteer and leadership roles have allowed me to develop a greater sense of the 'big picture' and I find myself taking on new activities that continue to develop that skill. For example, I'm quite interested in federal and provincial politics and I've participated in various aspects of the policy development processes for several parties and taken a leadership role in election campaigns from across the political spectrum. In fact I'm currently gearing up to help with various campaigns for the federal election in May-I'll be quite busy since I'll have exams to study for at the same time!
How do you manage to balance school, your multiple volunteer and leadership roles and your personal life?
Over the last five years school has, at times, been put on the backburner. It's a difficult balance and because days can become very full-depending on the time of year there can be a lot of prioritization! I'm very thankful that law school has a built-in support structure and I've made a lot of really good friends who have been kind enough to help me through classes that I've missed, which has really helped keep me afloat.
How do you deal with the stress of school?
Law school is a lot of work, so it is really a matter of ensuring that you are able to dedicate enough time to your commitments. I don't get stressed over school; I just try to plan everything out in advance to minimize worry and stress.
Exams will be over soon-how are you spending your summer?
I'm going to be at the National Institute for Nanotechnology researching regulatory framework as it applies to nanotechnology materials and then assessing whether the existing regulatory framework is appropriate, or if it needs to be amended. As a part of that, I'll be working with researchers to advise them of what they need to be doing to be compliant with government regulations.
In May I'll be participating in the March of Remembrance and Hope during which I'll visit locations in Germany and Poland related to the Holocaust along with trained educators and Holocaust survivors. I'm really looking forward to the trip and talking to the survivors and hearing their stories because we won't be able to hear firsthand accounts of the Holocaust for too much longer.
You will be articling with McLennan Ross LLP when you graduate in 2012. What areas of law are you interested in practising?
McLennan Ross LLP is a leader in labour and employment law, as well as commercial litigation, which is what attracted me to their firm as I am very interested in both areas of practice. I was able to summer with them last year and it was a tremendous experience. I wanted to article with a law firm in Edmonton that had an Alberta or Western Canada focus, and I'm grateful to have that opportunity with McLennan Ross LLP.
Many of your volunteer activities are in the area of politics and government. Are you interested in a career in politics?
I'm absolutely interested, but not anytime in the near future. I want to develop my legal practice to the point where I can be considered knowledgeable in my chosen area. Many people dive into politics as soon as they're finished university which I think can be difficult. I want to develop a stable career and if at some point in my life when I'm more experienced and mature-and I have the opportunity to get into politics-it's something that I would definitely consider.
When you were younger, is this what you thought you would be doing with your life?
Not at all! I grew up in a small community in Saskatchewan where doctors were looked up to and I came to the University of Alberta thinking that medicine would be my career path. I started my Bachelor of Science studies and I realized over the course of my volunteer activities and community involvement that I didn't want to work in a laboratory or a hospital.
I had a few friends who were in law school, or who had just completed law school and they told me it was something that I should consider. I started to realize that I could see myself practicing law and that it was a career that would provide for me both personally and professionally.
Is your family as involved in volunteer activities as you are?
Absolutely. When you grow up in a small community, everyone needs to participate in order for a community to thrive. My mom was involved in everything when I was growing up and I learned that you have to get out and participate or else a community doesn't succeed.
I was surprised to see how much less community involvement there is in a larger city. You can imagine how much better of a place Edmonton would be to live in if everyone had the belief that you need to give a little bit back to your community.
Louis "Lou" Hyndman is an alumnus of the Faculty of Law and was a member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly from 1967 to 1986 as Minister of Education, Minister of Federal and Intergovernmental Affairs and Provincial Treasurer. Today, Lou continues to be active in charitable and educational organizations and has recently served as Chancellor of the University of Alberta.
The Lou Hyndman Edmonton Glenora Award is a $20,000 award and is bestowed upon a student who has demonstrated leadership through involvement and participation in university or community organizations, sports activities, cultural or political activities and maintains satisfactory academic standing.
Steven Dollansky