When Leka Heimuli was a student at Salt Lake Community College, his schedule was consistent.
Every day, he would attend his classes and afterwards leave straight to work, but he knew he was missing something in his life. It wasn’t until he decided to get involved with student clubs that he found that missing piece.
“I wanted to get involved. I knew I had something to contribute to this institution,” Heimuli said. “When I got involved, I found my brave place — a place where I could be myself, and that place gradually grew into my safe place.”
Heimuli, who graduated in 2016 with an associate degree in communication studies, found his brave space while serving as president of the Pacific Unity Association (PUA) club.
“It was important for me as a president to show up authentically, so others felt comfortable [showing] up to our events the same way,” said Heimuli, who continues his work at SLCC as a secretary for the Multicultural Center.
Cyrus Safai felt the same way when he served as the president of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) club. Safai explained how much of a difference being a club president made in his life.
“I knew this would be a great learning experience to grow into,” he said. “It also helped teach me a lot about my communication and leadership [skills] and how both of those go hand in hand.”
Club presidents are required to complete many tasks, such as conducting club meetings, attending leadership trainings, coordinating club events and building a club presidency. Juggling personal life, academics and club commitments can take a toll, but Safai said he found ways to find balance.
“I worked hard; I would try to make [the] most of my time and never just sit around doing nothing,” he explained. “I had so much fun and made a lot of friends; some of those friends I still hang out with today. They have become family to me.”
Heimuli found that same type of family, and he credits it all to his father, who walked him into the SLCC admissions office to sign him up for college.
“My father didn’t want to see me struggle and knew education and being involved in our communities would give me a better opportunity to navigate life,” he said.
Heimuli’s father also encouraged him to get involved on campus to share his heritage and culture with others. In 2015, Heimuli presented SLCC’s first Kava Ceremony, a traditional event from the island of Fiji that symbolizes the binding together of two families.
Presenting a traditional event was important for Heimuli. He said it was also a lot of work.
“I had to put my president hat on and delegate tasks,” he said, “I grew close to my club presidency; they became my chosen family.”
Leadership experiences helped both Heimuli and Safai develop into their current leadership roles today: Heimuli as the co-advisor for the PUA club and Safai as a tutor in the SLCC Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centers.
Despite the benefits of club involvement, some students are not aware of the 50+ clubs available on the college’s six campuses.
KC Nnah, an engineering major, said he didn’t know that SLCC even had clubs on campus.
“I definitely would be interested in joining, I just don’t know where I would find them,” he explained. “If more information can be marketed in classes, it would be easier for students like me to join.”
Students interested in joining a club can contact the coordinator for Student Clubs and Organizations, Anita Lui, or attend this fall’s Mega Fair during the first week of September.
An active student club list can be found at slcc.campusgroups.com.
