UNB Alumni
Telling our #ProudlyUNB stories

Volunteer Spotlight: Ian Hardy (BBA'07)

Author: UNB Alumni

Posted on Apr 26, 2022

Category: Inspiring Stories , UNB Saint John


Ian Hardy (BBA'07) - Saint John, NB

Tell us about your time at UNB. What extracurricular activities were you involved in as a student? 

I came to UNBSJ from Ontario and lived on campus for the first two years of attending. While living in residence, I participated in the residence council. In my later years at UNB I was part of the Keith's Club, which ran social events on campus, and was also part of the business administration society. Through the four years of living in Saint John, the city slowly grew on me and at the end of my time, even though I had the opportunity to return to Ontario, I decided to make Saint John home and have lived here ever since.

Can you share some of your fondest moments from your time at UNBSJ?

Some of the more memorable moments in my UNB experience would have been from my time in residence, as well as the social events that we hosted at the university. The thing I think back to most fondly was the size of the campus and the accessibility of the professors. I spent time in the bar with some of my economics professors and was able to review some of those more complicated theories over a beer in a one on one situation, which you would have a hard time finding that experience at a larger university.

As an alumnus you have volunteered your time at UNB. Why is it important for you to give back your time and talent?

UNBSJ was a welcoming spot to me as a kid from Ontario and I enjoyed my time there so I wanted to make sure that I was able to help contribute to others having that same experience that I did when I arrived at UNBSJ back in 2003.

Why did you decide to join the UNB Asssociated Alumni council and why do you enjoy giving your time to it?

I have spent time volunteering for events with the Alumni Association since I graduated and thought joining the council would be a great next step in my involvement with UNB. I enjoy participating with the Alumni Council to have a better understanding of what's happening at UNB, how they are improving the campus life for students, improving our communities overall and what is coming up next within the UNB community.

Do you volunteer for any other organizations in the community?

Over the years I have spent a lot of time volunteering for the Canadian Cancer Society. With them I have helped run events such as Relay For Life and Daffodil Dash. Similar to my UNB volunteering experience, I started out helping put the events together and eventually took on the leadership of those events including chairing the Relay For Life for Saint John and the Daffodil Dash event. I have also always participated in various charity events through my employers, making sure to give back to the community in different ways.

What makes you #ProudlyUNB?

What makes me #ProudlyUNB is the university's welcoming nature and its continued work to make Saint John and New Brunswick a place for people to not only come to learn but also a place to stay after they graduate. It also makes me proud to see the university's continued  work towards different approaches to improve the community such as the Health and Innovation Centre on the Saint John campus and the Frank McKenna Institute on the Fredericton Campus

 

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