Kaitlin Wu
Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ)
Where did Kaitlin work?
Work Term 1:
Community Manager, Techtone
Work Term 1 & 2:
Student Director, UBC Food Hub Market
Excellence in the Workplace
Despite having limited experience in food service operations and management, Kaitlin swiftly assumed a leadership role and took on managerial responsibilities at UBC Food Hub, a not-for-profit at-cost grocery store focused on addressing food insecurity. She successfully recruited, trained, and scheduled a team of 50 volunteers while taking on duties such as managing and opening the market. Collaborating closely with other team members, Kaitlin also coordinated the market layout, selected food offerings, and established an efficient ordering process.
As one of the pioneering co-op students at this workplace, Kaitlin wholeheartedly dedicated herself to advancing the market’s objectives and enhancing the well-being of students. Her supervisor commended Kaitlin as one of the factors to the program’s success, where her “skills and approach have led to a more financially sustainable model for the market” at UBC.
Opening of Career Opportunities
For Kaitlin, the Arts Co-op Program gave her the opportunity to find a work term that aligned with her studies as a Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ) major. Throughout most of her undergrad, Kaitlin questioned her degree path and whether it would translate to careers. However, everything changed when Kaitlin secured the position of Student Director for the UBC Food Hub Market. In this role, she played a pivotal part in creating and nurturing a space dedicated to sustainable food practices and fostering a non-judgmental environment where people felt safe accessing affordable food.
Kaitlin’s supervisor highlights how her background in social justice was a “perfect fit for community-based work.” Leveraging the skills, she had developed through her coursework, such as active listening, critical analysis, and promoting harm reduction, Kaitlin thrived in her position. As a result, she has gained clarity about her career aspirations and now envisions pursuing paths focused on community-based projects that center around activism and advocacy.
From Co-op to Community
Kaitlin’s impact at the Food Hub Market extended throughout the UBC community, and collaboration played a crucial role in the market’s success. In her role, Kaitlin actively forged new partnerships and cultivated relationships with various student campus groups, including the First Generations Student Union, AMS Food Bank, Acadia Food Hub, and Agora Café.
As Kaitlin nears the end of her undergraduate journey, she holds the community she helped build close to her heart. Her co-op term at the Food Hub Market has profoundly shaped her into the person she is today. Through her interactions with customers, storytelling efforts to improve food literacy, knowledge-sharing, prioritization of food access, and sharing of personal experiences, Kaitlin remains grateful for the opportunity to give back to the UBC community through her contributions to the Food Hub Market.
Kaitlin Wu
Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ)
Where did Kaitlin work?
Work Term 1:
Community Manager, Techtone
Work Term 1 & 2:
Student Director, UBC Food Hub Market
Excellence in the Workplace
Despite having limited experience in food service operations and management, Kaitlin swiftly assumed a leadership role and took on managerial responsibilities at UBC Food Hub, a not-for-profit at-cost grocery store focused on addressing food insecurity. She successfully recruited, trained, and scheduled a team of 50 volunteers while taking on duties such as managing and opening the market. Collaborating closely with other team members, Kaitlin also coordinated the market layout, selected food offerings, and established an efficient ordering process.
As one of the pioneering co-op students at this workplace, Kaitlin wholeheartedly dedicated herself to advancing the market’s objectives and enhancing the well-being of students. Her supervisor commended Kaitlin as one of the factors to the program’s success, where her “skills and approach have led to a more financially sustainable model for the market” at UBC.
Opening of Career Opportunities
For Kaitlin, the Arts Co-op Program gave her the opportunity to find a work term that aligned with her studies as a Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice (GRSJ) major. Throughout most of her undergrad, Kaitlin questioned her degree path and whether it would translate to careers. However, everything changed when Kaitlin secured the position of Student Director for the UBC Food Hub Market. In this role, she played a pivotal part in creating and nurturing a space dedicated to sustainable food practices and fostering a non-judgmental environment where people felt safe accessing affordable food.
Kaitlin’s supervisor highlights how her background in social justice was a “perfect fit for community-based work.” Leveraging the skills, she had developed through her coursework, such as active listening, critical analysis, and promoting harm reduction, Kaitlin thrived in her position. As a result, she has gained clarity about her career aspirations and now envisions pursuing paths focused on community-based projects that center around activism and advocacy.
From Co-op to Community
Kaitlin’s impact at the Food Hub Market extended throughout the UBC community, and collaboration played a crucial role in the market’s success. In her role, Kaitlin actively forged new partnerships and cultivated relationships with various student campus groups, including the First Generations Student Union, AMS Food Bank, Acadia Food Hub, and Agora Café.
As Kaitlin nears the end of her undergraduate journey, she holds the community she helped build close to her heart. Her co-op term at the Food Hub Market has profoundly shaped her into the person she is today. Through her interactions with customers, storytelling efforts to improve food literacy, knowledge-sharing, prioritization of food access, and sharing of personal experiences, Kaitlin remains grateful for the opportunity to give back to the UBC community through her contributions to the Food Hub Market.