Nominee: Brittany Harker Martin

Graduate Nominee: Brittany Harker Martin, Haskayne School of Business, Strategy and Global Management

How have you been a leader at the University of Calgary? What qualities do all good student leaders possess?

I was on the PhD Student executive for four of the five years of my graduate education at UofC. After my first year, I became the Social Representative and carried out that role for two years. During that time, I implemented several programs to try and better integrate PhD students from different departments to create a sense of community. I tried to make our social events something that appealed to everyone from competitive scrabble tournaments (with cupcakes!) to a party with spouses in my home. The next logical step was taking on the role of President, which I also carried out for two terms. As president, I support my executive in their roles while working on branding the PhD Executive. With limited presence in our faculty, I represented the PhD students at forums, meetings, downtown events, etc. while also creating an on-line presence on our website. I believe all good student leaders possess vision and the abilities to work collaboratively to achieve it. Passion and inspiration are important, but in my role, the top qualities required as a student leader were empathy and genuine compassion for each student's unique situation.

How have you been involved in the community during your university career?

During my university career, I have played an active role on the parent council at my daughters' elementary school. I represent our school as a Key Communicator at local meetings as well as community meetings and systems meetings with the CBE. Part of this role was encouraging our parent community to become advocates for equitable arts education in the province, and I steered bringing our proposal to the provincial level school council association. I am also on the Board of the Make it Good Foundation, an organization that fosters social change towards a more sustainable Calgary. Part of this role included initiating a think tank series where community leaders gather to discuss and brainstorm solutions on local issues.

How have you balanced school with your other commitments on campus and in the community?

Is there balance in graduate education? Yes, but it requires intentional, purposeful resilience to the strong forces that would have you sitting in the lab 24/7. I have balanced school with my other commitments on campus and in the community (including raising two, lovely daughters who are now 11 and 13) by setting my priorities and sticking to them. My family came first. My community second. My service to the university third. My education fourth. At the end of this process, I will enter the world with a PhD and a sense of pride that I did it without compromising my values and commitment to those I serve.

University is what you make it, so how have you been making the most of your university career?

I love the status as a PhD student. In fact, I find that we are status-less in society. Where do we fit? We are the top of the students, but the bottom of the faculty... few in industry have comparable qualifications, and there is not a place for us in the org chart. I have shamelessly exploited this fact and used my PhD status to establish a mentorship network with leaders in Canada. My network began with a conversation with our Jarislowsky fellow, Martin Glynn (ex CEO of HSBC Canada) and has since grown to include an impressive list of ex CEOs, senior Vice Presidents, and entrepreneurs. I meet with my mentors on a regular basis and have meaningful conversations about my career development. I have also taken every opportunity to teach at the University of Calgary (I also have a B.Ed), teaching interdisciplinary courses between Haskayne and the Faculty of Education, undergraduate to graduate. My teaching evaluations are very high and through this experience I have landed a book deal with the Peter Lange Publishing House in New York. 

Class Ambassadors are permanent representatives of their graduating class. What is the role of University of Calgary alumni in the community and how will you represent the university to alumni and future alumni?

The role of the University of Calgary alumni in the community is to represent knowledge and potential. We are the ones who know how empowering education can be. We are the visionaries with the tools to act as agents of change on behalf of those who are not in the power to do so. As a class ambassador, I will represent the intense love of learning I have experienced with my peers while role-modeling a passion for life long learning beyond the PhD.