Matt Anderson - A School President with a Vision

I had an opportunity to have lunch last week with our school president, Matt Anderson.  Over the course of an hour, we discussed his vision for success and what he values at Sullivan Heights.  Matt is a very impressive young man who expresses himself extremely well and has a clear vision for the future. 

Matt brings with him, as a student and class president, a strong work ethic fostered from a caring home.  Both his parents are active members of our Parent Advisory Council and have always encouraged him to set goals and work hard.  He told me, with a smile on his face, that his parents were the first people he told when he first found out that he had been elected school president.   In the brief time we spent together chatting, it was clearly evident that Matt has benefited from strong family values. His father coached him in hockey and both parents encouraged him to follow his passion in swimming so that he eventually qualified as a certified lifeguard. A very impressive accomplishment that led Matt to finding employment with Surrey Parks and Recreation and connected him to the mentorship of a swim coach who not only fine tuned a his swimming technique, but also nurtured a growing interest to further his studies in business.

At Sullivan Heights, Matt is an honour roll student who does very well academically.  He has a passion for science and math and wants to further his education at UBC through the Sauder School of Business.  His goal is to eventually find work in a business leadership capacity. Matt told me that he first realized that he wanted to be President when he was in grade 11.  He explained that the tipping point for him was the encouragement and advice he received from Ms. Becker, our student council advisor. He said that Ms. Becker very clearly outlined a strategy of success for him.  He said she encouraged him to get started early by getting more involved with student events so that when he was ready to make the move for president he would have the experience to back it up.

Matt’s vision for his presidency is to create more student engagement.  He wants to see more students get involved in the life of our school.  His plan is to focus his efforts on engaging the younger grades so that the spirit of engagement has a lasting effect at Sullivan. I asked Matt how he planned to do this and with a confident, determined and caring manner, he explained that the best way to move forward was to ensure he grounds his efforts in supporting those working with him on student council.   Matt understands the value of team and is eager to work with and support other members of his leadership council.

 Pancake Breakfast – Matt with some of our Council executives Jeremy Dema-Ala, Rawel Sidhu, Saif Ali

To wrap up our conversation, I asked Matt what legacy he would you like to see his Grad Class leave behind.  Matt expressed a desire for his grad class to be remembered as positive role models, who made ethical decisions and inspired younger students. His vision of a legacy is one filled with helping develop a school culture full of positive examples of leadership and support where everyone is involved in the life of the school.  It is clear that Matt has the passion and desire to be successful.  With great anticipation and excitement we look forward to his vision coming to fruition.