Being a university student means you’re going to be exposed to a lot of different things throughout your studies – both on- and off-campus. For fourth-year kinesiology student, Wasib Dheendsa, finding ways to get involved led him off campus and into the surrounding community in Toronto.
Stepping outside the box
Dheendsa knew that exploring civic engagement as a kinesiology student didn’t exactly align with his studies, but it aligned with his passion. When he heard about Model Senate in 2024, he immediately wanted to learn more. By speaking with people who had been to Model Senate in previous years and learning how he would be able to meet senators and parliamentarians, he took the opportunity.
“The experience of it being in the Senate building in Ottawa really spoke to me,” Dheendsa says. "You don't always get opportunities to visit those buildings and experience what the parliamentarians are doing.”
Making connections at Model Senate
Stepping into a new space can sometimes be daunting. When Dheendsa started getting involved with Model Senate, he says the most exciting part of it all was networking.
"Netowrking also includes informal chats that occur throughout the Senate proceedings, lunch breaks and hearing the stories from the youth across the country, how they got there and what their backgrounds are,” he says.
When learning about fellow Model Senate students, Dheendsa saw that he wasn’t the only one not studying political science – and says it’s more common than you’d think.
“Not everybody comes from an interest in government; not everybody has even been in Canada for that long,” he recounts. “Hearing these different experiences and their interest in government is really inspiring.”
It was here that Dheendsa saw that community engagement and knowledge do not rely solely on education or background – but the intentions of serving and informing the community and educating the youth within it.
A limitless endeavor
After completing his time with the Model Senate, Dheendsa decided he wanted to take his mission a step further. How? By working on youth civic engagement opportunities in Canada.
Dheendsa started to look at the community that surrounded him, both on- and off-campus in Toronto and Vaughan. With the help of his peers, Dheendsa focused on helping young people get involved with advocacy, learn about the levels of government, explore how to reach out to their representatives, work on initiatives and more.
"The main thing I learned is that nothing is too far out of reach,” says Dheendsa. “There's so many people like you out there. It's just about finding that inspiration and those like-minded people to support you along the way.”
And so, Dheendsa started engaging in more leadership roles, hoping to inspire those around him at school and beyond. His engagement led him to become the president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA) at York, a role he has held since 2023. Through this, Dheendsa has been able to communicate with, and address the needs of over 100 members while organizing events in the York community.
Why you should get involved
Going off campus to get involved with the surrounding community can help you understand government processes, cultural and religious groups and events – this holds a lot of importance for Dheendsa.
“It’s a big thing for me,” he says. “That's why I focus mostly on municipal government. I want the youth to get a sense of what's going on in their communities.”
Because the influence of our government is so large, Dheendsa decided it would be beneficial to host an event in January 2025 at Toronto City Hall for youth to hear directly from community partners and city councilors about what the role of the municipal government is in Toronto and beyond.
"A lot of them came to that event with little to no interest in government at all,” says Dheendsa. “But what they took away from that experience is that elected officials are a lot more accessible to people than anybody thinks.”
Pro Tip: There always seems to be a bit of alienation between the public and elected officials, or government in general – but remember that they're your representative and are there to work for you and with you!
Dheendsa continues to work towards informing people about our government, engagement and networking – all of which come together to help build communities.
“You don't have to come from a law background to be an effective decision maker or a critical voice in government,” he notes. “You could be from any background, because anything and everything concerns government.”
As Dheendsa prepares for his final year at York, he continues to focus on connecting with his peers and working towards shared goals.
“For students in university the experience of working alongside government officials on city projects, has innumerable benefits from a professional and character development standpoint,” Dheendsa shares. “There's very little to lose and so much to gain.”
If you have an interest in government but aren’t part of a government-focused program, don’t worry – anyone can get involved. To find out more, Dheendsa recommends filling out the interest form for the Youth Advisory Council in the City of Vaughan.