What drives Sam Thiara – the recipient of the Mentor of the Year honours by the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leaders of Tomorrow program (LOT) ? “I am passionate about what I learn and about leadership, about making it enable me to give back to the community,” says Thiara. “My favourite quote is, ‘Everyone’s life is an autobiography. Make yours worth reading.”
BURNABY – SFU’s top Indo-Canadian Sam Thiara has been described as a man “who marches to the beat of his own drum with the British Columbia Regiment Irish Pipes and Drums.
“But it’s his ability to help others march to the beat of their own drums in life that makes him stand out at SFU, where he has won this year’s BC Sugar Achievement Award,” says a glowing write-up on Thiara by the University’s official website sfu.ca in announcing that Thiara has been recognized with Mentor of the Year by the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leaders of Tomorrow program (LOT), which recently held its annual graduation.
Thiara, manager of student engagement and recruitment at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, has been recognized for his engagement and leadership with the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leaders of Tomorrow program (LOT).
As a student affairs officer with SFU Business—a position unique among Canadian universities—Thiara helps business students shine in their studies, community work, international exchange programs and worldwide competitions.
“Aside from selecting and grooming students for competitions, I encourage them to think beyond transcripts and grade point averages and become effective communicators,“ Thiara told sfu.ca.
One of SFU’s highest honours, the $5,500 BC Sugar Award recognizes a student, staff or faculty member for garnering national and international praise that enhances the university’s reputation.
Thiara, a North Vancouver resident, says he’ll use the money to help finance his master’s degree in leadership at the University of Exeter in England. The SFU business and political science graduate has helped more than 20 community organizations achieve their goals, including the Leaders of Tomorrow, the Children’s Wish Foundation and the North Shore Neighbourhood House.
His previous honours include a 2006 Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award and the 2002 Outstanding Grad Award from Leadership Vancouver, a community leadership program from which he graduated and later became a board member and chair of its graduate network committee.
Thiara also played an active role in helping Vancouver win its 2010 Winter Olympics bid, conducting 60 open houses, implementing municipal and community projects and networking with political and community representatives.
What drives him? “I am passionate about what I learn and about leadership, about making it enable me to give back to the community,” says Thiara. “My favourite quote is, ‘Everyone’s life is an autobiography. Make yours worth reading.”
LOT is a student mentorship program that engages final year post-secondary students with industry professionals from across the Lower Mainland. Students develop skills in mentorship, leadership, networking and volunteerism. LOT has had more than 1,500 students and 700 mentors participate to date and contributes several thousand volunteer hours to the community annually.
The program recognizes one mentor who “considerably exceeds the program requirements in multiple ways.”
Thiara was lauded by students for his commitment to the success of others, and was noted for making his students “feel comfortable from their first meeting…..he is a tremendous listener, and gave valuable advice throughout the year. His leadership and commitment is an inspiration to many.”
That sentiment is echoed by Austin Nairn, the BOT’s program manager. “I have had the pleasure of knowing Sam for the last three years and he has become an outstanding example to me and all mentors in the program,” he said. “Sam truly lives what we try to teach young people and we are fortunate to have him involved.”
In addition to his award, Thiara’s mentee – Will Swanston of BCIT – was given the honour of Mentee of the Year at the same graduation – resulting in a clean sweep for the mentorship pairing.
Thiara has been involved with Vancouver Board of Trade’s Leaders of Tomorrow since it was established in 1999 and annually hosts a popular leadership and development session encouraging students to, as he puts it, “make their autobiography worth reading.”
