From Isolation to Inclusion: How Campus Life Is Reimagining Student Connection

When Muhammad Jawad Raza first walked into the Campus Life Lounge as a first-year international student, he wasn’t thinking about leadership or Microsoft Teams; he was trying not to feel alone on a quiet island after growing up in Karachi, Pakistan, one of the busiest cities.

“It was definitely a shock,” he said. “I grew up always surrounded by people. So coming to the island, seeing so few people, and seeing a different culture was a big adjustment.”

For him, the lounge became a place to sit, play cards, and talk to other people who were also in the same shoes as he was.

Fast-forward to today, Jawad, a third-year Computer Science student, isn’t the new student playing cards in the lounge. He’s one of the two Campus Life Leads.

He oversees events, planning the budget. On a typical day, he’s up at 6 a.m., answering messages and emails, meeting with supervisors, planning weekly events, coordinating with the social media coordinator, occasionally designing posters, and attending class, all before most students have had their morning iced coffee.

Having been head boy in high school for two years and part of student councils, Jawad mentioned that leading in any capacity and representing students is something he enjoys. So, he did not pass up the opportunity to support students in this new capacity.

His biggest challenge this year has been helping to build a brand-new team structure.

“This is the first year Campus Life has paid advisor roles,” he explained. “We had to help everyone understand their responsibilities… but we’ve crossed a huge milestone.”

Would he do this again next year? “100%,” he said without hesitation. “I want this program to grow with me.”

Where Jawad leads major programming, Eziaku Onuoha is the behind-the-scenes force making sure everything and everyone runs smoothly.

As the Campus Life Admin Lead, she’s essentially the student HR, handling scheduling, advisor needs, admin processes, and making sure the lounge environment is welcoming and safe.

The fourth-year business student Eziaku joined because she remembered what it felt like to be new and overwhelmed.

“This is my first time in a supervisory role,” she said. “I’m learning a lot, like how not to micromanage but still have structure. There’s been such positive growth.” – Eziaku Onuoha

“When I first arrived, I didn’t really know anyone. I arrived a few weeks later and people had already formed their friend groups,” she said. “I felt isolated, and I never wanted other students to feel that way.” Her mission is clear, to make the UPEI campus more like a community and less like just the space for classes.

“I want people to say, ‘Even if I have a two-hour break, I’ll stay because there’s something fun happening.’ We want UPEI to feel like a place where you can study, socialize, play sports, make friends,” she said.

Campus Life now includes new programming like study lounges and weekly recreational sports on Sundays, replacing the cancelled intramurals and giving students alternative ways to connect.

And while turnout isn’t perfect yet, Eziaku is optimistic.“It can be sad when people don’t know about us, but we’re rebranding, promoting, and making it impossible to miss Campus Life now.”

At the heart of Campus Life are the advisors, the people who engage with students on a daily basis. For Campus Life Advisor Julie Jaratsrivisit, the program has been just as transformative personally as it is for the students she supports.

“My favourite thing is helping students, especially first-years,” she said. “Some of them are struggling or shy, and it feels good to be someone they can talk to.”

Julie started during Welcome Week and jumped right into helping host campus-wide activities, game nights, and creative events like rock-painting sessions.

She admits some tasks, like setting up movie nights,] were intimidating at first. But learning on the job and growing through challenge has been a highlight.“Everyone works professionally,” she said. “We share ideas and support each other. I’ve built a lot of confidence from this.”

Julie’s message to students who haven’t stopped by yet is to simply give the lounge or any other session a chance. “Sometimes students don’t know what Campus Life is. I always tell them, ‘Just join us — we have snacks, games, and people to talk to.’ We don’t force activities. We just want you to feel welcome.”

Behind all the student leaders stands Inara Bhalesha, UPEI’s Student Engagement Officer. She isthe staff member guiding Campus Life’s new structure.

“This is a new role for me and for the university,” she explained. “Campus Life is a major part of our office’s mandate to build student culture.” Previously, Campus Life existed but quietly. This year, the goal is to make it more structured, and more student-centered moving forward.“We redesigned it to reach different student demographics,” she said. “Weekly events, study lounges, recreational sports. It’s all about giving students variety and community.”

“Forget past experiences. Give us a chance. Come to the lounge, enjoy snacks, connect with people, study, or just relax. We’re building a weekly life rhythm for students, spaces to study, socialize, unwind, and play.” Whether you’re looking for study buddies, free snacks, recreation nights, themed events, or just a place to hang out between classes, Campus Life has students covered with a lounge every weekday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Student Centre; weekly events on Thursdays 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Study Lounges on Tuesdays and Fridays; and recreational sports on Sundays from 6 to 9 p.m.