National Congress 2012
by Minh Nguyen on Nov.25, 2011, under Announcements, Conferences
OGX Blog Update from EP Kristin Tritthardt
by Minh Nguyen on Nov.07, 2011, under Exchange, Opportunities
As I sat on the bus rolling through Slovakia I was anxiously awaiting my arrival in Banska Bystrica. There I would meet up with two members of their AIESEC chapter and my internship would begin. Nothing could have prepared me for what I was about to experience and in the end I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
I held an 8 week developmental internship that placed me in a small private elementary school in Slovakia working in the English classroom alongside their normal teacher. My role was to be the native speaker, assist in class, and make English fun. My accommodations were with a family that sent their 9 year old daughter to the same school, we would both get dropped off in the morning and we’d walk into school hand in hand. Living with a local family was one of the experiences I am most thankful for. They welcomed me into their home and treated me as if I was their oldest daughter. By the end I was referring the mother as my “Slovak mama”
The kids at the school were amazing. They were younger (ages 5-11) so they didn’t know that much English, but in the afternoons when they had free time to play they would grab an English-Slovak dictionary, come sit down beside me and ask me how to pronounce different words. It was interesting being considered as staff at a school when I could only communicate with 3 other teachers.
All in all it was one of the coolest things I’ve done. I learned so much about myself, my skills as a teacher, and the wonderful country of Slovakia. It’s all thanks to AIESEC, nothing would have been the same without them! Not to mention the great AIESECers of Slovakia that welcomed me with open arms. It is an experience I would highly recommend!
Mikias Abera’s AIESEC Experience Thus Far…
by Minh Nguyen on Nov.07, 2011, under Conferences, Opportunities
As I sit here writing this, I feel as if I’m speaking about AIESEC from the perspective of an experienced member. Although I’ve only spent a few days with this dynamic and exciting group of people, I feel as if I’ve known most of them for much longer. The Western Regional Conference was a very inspiring experience as I met people that I have so much in common with, yet would never have met outside of AIESEC. Seeing these same people who were shy and reserved on the first day come out of their shell and get more involved showed me just how much AIESEC can do.
I guess it’s only fair that I should be honest about why I joined AIESEC in the first place. Honestly, all I saw was “International Internships” on a poster and that was all it took to get me to sign up. It wasn’t until after I attended the conference that I found so many other benefits of the organisation.
I quickly became interested in the personal and professional aspects of joining; to be responsible for my own development and to grow by challenging myself in the professional world. The exchange simulation was a little scary at first, but I learned a lot about JFDI’ing (Just ***ing doing it), and the feedback I got from other members really helped me understand more about my skills and how I can develop them.
My favourite moment during the conference was seeing Eileen (AIESEC Calgary!) get up in front of 140 people and share her experience over the past year as a part of AIESEC. To see someone who was so effected by their involvement was very moving, although I’m not one for tears, I think one may have welled up (don’t worry, it didn’t escape!).
It is these kinds of moments that I find the most striking about AIESEC; its ability to change people. Talking to the members, I found ideas and values that resonate with me; promoting cultural awareness, personal development and a better understanding of people across cultural and geographic lines. And because of this I look forward to becoming more involved, meeting more AIESECers, and hopefully one day going on an exchange myself.
AIESEC, You’ve Got Me, by Luc Bibeau
by Minh Nguyen on Oct.18, 2011, under Announcements, Events
When I joined AIESEC, I wasn’t sure what to expect both as far as what the club actually did or the sort of people who I was about to meet. I am pleased to say that my experience has been positive through and through. The club was welcoming from the start and the breakdown into portfolios gave me an opportunity to get involved and be a contributing member, which makes me feel more of an asset and gives me an idea of where I fit in, all while meeting incredible people. Different portfolios highlight various talents along with chances and ways to develop your individual abilities and interests. I love meeting new people and hearing their stories about where they are from, where they’ve been and what they want to do. Having a predisposition for talking about anything and everything (even prior to kissing the Blarney Stone) led me to join the Incoming Exchange portfolio where I am learning to help facilitate the arrival and integration of new interns.
Last week I had my first experience with interns, past and present as I attended the first culture night of the year, where an alumnus who had been on an internship to China and a current intern from Finland gave presentations on their experiences and the way that AIESEC has helped them to develop as individuals, as well as to gain perspective on the world around them. These presentations, joined by friendly discussion over a pint affirmed my suspicions that AIESEC was just the sort of organization I had been looking for. It offers the opportunity to develop professionally and individually, while still maintaining the genuine, sincere inclusiveness and friendship that makes a community special.
I had the pleasure to speak at length with two interns here in Calgary, MacDonald and Mia. Perhaps in reflecting the changing face of the world, each has a complex background. MacDonald comes from Nigeria originally, has lived in Brazil and most recently on a more permanent basis in Finland. I would describe him as an inspired guy with a wicked sense of humour who shares a passion for education, thinking globally and dancing, in equal parts. Mia was born in Kazakhstan, holds a Russian passport and if I’m not mistaken has lived in Germany most recently. Mia is a warm and friendly person with insight into a part of the world I know very little about. I have plans to trade my culinary skills for Russian lessons!
I’m stoked for the future and to make more friends through AIESEC. I hope to be able to take on an internship myself in the future, but for now, it will be a blast to hang out with the interns here in Calgary along with the rest of the local AIESEC team. With another Culture Night coming up on November 16th, Flames in action at the Saddledome and Punk Rock bingo at the Ship, good times will surely lie ahead.
From the Desk of Ada Wong!
by Minh Nguyen on Oct.04, 2011, under Announcements
Kasha Piquette from TD WaterhouseAlvaro Ipanaque from AgriumMiranda Erickson from AESONicole Montgomery from Xerox CanadaHeather Campbell from Gran TierraChristine ByeDave SteenLisa GordonMiranda EricksonElizabeth Watterworth
WRC registration has been extended!!
by Minh Nguyen on Oct.02, 2011, under Conferences
WRC registration has been extended to October 4nd, 6pm.
People who register will also get 60 dollars reimbursement!
Anybody interested in registering can email Marinel at marinel.hizon@aiesec.net,
Last week to register for WRC!!!
by Minh Nguyen on Sep.28, 2011, under Announcements, Conferences, Events
There will be someone in the office to register people. There are usually people there in the evening.
This conference is an amazing experience. It will be very valuable to your AIESEC experience. I hope many Calgarians will go. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to visit us in our office stated below.
Our office is found at the back of Scurfield Hall in the clubs trailer.
Please visit this website for more information: http://aiesec.ca/wrc/en
AIESEC Summer of 2011
by Minh Nguyen on Sep.25, 2011, under Announcements
To the membership of AIESEC Calgary
Summer is ending, and though I’m looking forward to Fall. I, first, want to look back, to what has happened during the summer.
NLDC was successfully held in Ottawa, and AIESEC Calgary brought back the conference experience with a mini-conference.
The first quarter BoA meeting occurred.
AIESEC Calgary won all three marketing blitz.
Organizing Committee for WRC and Alumni Relations has done an awesome job with raising sponsorship for the conference.
Four new interns arrived in Calgary.
One EP realized in Slovakia
BBQ day and Stampede Day
Summer is always the slowest period in AIESEC with some members leaving the city or getting a full time job and having less time for AIESEC. Congratulations on keeping up activity and thank you for those who stayed involved during the summer. So with the school year starting, I’m super excited to see people coming back, being more active, and recruiting new members.
Welcome to another new school year 2011-2012. Though the school year is just starting, the current Executive Board have been a team for 6 months now. If you haven’t gotten the chance to participate in portfolio activities but would like to do more in the new school year, you are more than welcome to contact the Vice Presidents or myself. Remember that in AIESEC, “what you get out of it depends of what you put into it”. September to November is AIESEC Calgary’s third quarter, and will be the busiest quarter yet with recruitment, WRC, LCP election, and VP selection. Ready?! Excited?! JFDI!
AIESECly yours,
Marinel Hizon, Local Committee President
Clubs Week is Coming up!!!
by Minh Nguyen on Sep.17, 2011, under Announcements
Join us at our stand during Clubs Week to learn more about AIESEC.
It runs from September 19 to September 23 from 9am to 4 pm.
Here is a picture of the stand. Look for us!
The next AIESEC Calgary Information Session is:
September 25th 11am-1pm
September 28th 6:30pm-8:30pm
Both at SH105! RSVP to yuxin.zhu@aiesec.net
See you all soon!!
Western Region Conference!!
by Minh Nguyen on Sep.04, 2011, under Conferences
Western Regional Conference is just 37 days away! Registration is now open so if you would like to register to ensure your spot in the conference, you can come in the office next week between 9am-5pm, and we can register you right away!!! 
This October, from the 7th to the 9th, AIESEC Calgary is hosting the Western Regional Conference (WRC) 2011!
For the weekend, WRC will bring together today’s business leaders along with some of the most driven and engaged youth of the west. This conference is an amazing opportunity to share knowledge of AIESEC and encourage members to continue growing personally and professionally. WRC 2011 aims to encourage individuals to take an active part in their learning through being socially responsible, entrepreneurial and sustainable.
Cost: $177 (3 nights stay at Ramada Hotel, Food covered from Friday night to Sunday night)
Payment method: Paypal or credit card
