Humans of Goodes - Carving Your Own Path at Queen’s.
Biography
Omar Baboolal is a fourth-year student in the Commerce program at Smith, pursuing a dual-degree in philosophy and a certificate in social impact. In his first year, he performed in a musical with Queen’s Students on Broadway. In his second year he became more directly involved within the Commerce Society, serving as one of the Diversity and Inclusion Officers; acting as a Sponsorship Coordinator on Queen’s Conference on the Entertainment Industry (QCEI) and participating in Orientation Week as a Boss. In his third year, he was a Co-Chair of the newly founded Smith Black Business Association (SBBA), actively involved with Reform Smith, and an editor on the Queen’s Business Review (QBR). Approaching his fourth year, Omar was elected President of the Commerce Society, running alongside Tara Matin-Nejad (as Vice President of Operations) and Finn Price (as Vice President of Student Affairs). He is honoured and thrilled to have the trust of his peers to represent them and is committed to working hard to ensure that all Commerce students have the best possible experience during the 2021-2022 school year. In the context of this role, he is specifically passionate about creating a culture and community of care within the program and actualizing on the society’s advocacy potential. Omar is always up for a chat, so make sure you talk to him when you see him around Goodes!
Why did you decide to study business/commerce? Why Smith/Queen’s?
“There’s 2 things that motivated me to choose Smith Commerce. The first was hearing about the admissions process, and the second was thinking about how I could help make this program more accessible for future generations.
It was a very specific decision to study at Smith for me. I went to QLEAD, where I heard someone describe the admissions process to this program as being judged far less on the marks you get, and not as a number. Instead, Smith looks heavily at your PSE and written application as a testament to who you are. I don’t like to think of myself as a number or grade. I think that is in no way a reflection of who I am. Rather, I like to think of myself as someone who adds value. So hearing the program described like that resonated with me. I thought, “if this is the admissions process, then they must be admitting a whole slew of really, really cool people who are like-minded in the sense of wanting to be positive contributors; leaders who want to do good in the world.” Hearing the admissions process was the compelling thing for me that made me think in my head that Smith Commerce was the place I wanted to be. Also, I think the program’s reputation regarding EDII matters was a concern for some people at my high school, and I have always lived by the “be the change” mantra. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that until people who look like me, and people from where I’m from, start going to this program, it’s not going to become more accessible for future generations.”
How have you grown as a person throughout the program/your time at Queen’s?
“In all candor, the transition to this program was difficult for me. At first, I didn’t feel comfortable in the program or in my skin. I think over the course of my time at Smith, I’ve grown immeasurably. There’s so much more self-comfortability with who I am, and a willingness to embrace the unknown. I think what gave me this new comfortability was the revelation that figuring yourself and your environment out, is itself a process. Even at the age of 21, there are dimensions of myself that I don’t know. I am still a work-in-process and figuring myself out - but I am more comfortable with that process and the ambiguity inherent to the process. My growth is measured by the fact that I don’t feel like I have to constantly be perfect anymore. I don’t feel like I need to perform, or constantly think about how others view me. I just have to be comfortable with how I view myself. This aspiration has really been fundamental to my growth, as well as comfortability with myself, my goals, and my ambitions. My passions may differ from the folks around me, but I like that about myself now. Before, having different passions than the folks around me was disorienting . Now, I feel less of a need to compare myself to others, and way more comfortable bringing my authentic and whole self to every situation.”
If you could go back in time, what advice would you have given to yourself upon entering the program and/or entering Queen’s?
“1. Take some pressure off yourself. I think there's a perception amongst our program that you have to be perfect: that you have to be involved and get good grades right from the get-go. However, I truly believe in failing upwards. I think that’s how you learn. There are people who come into this program knowing specifically what career outcome they want - but there are also people that don’t, and they’ll figure it out. Some people may not even figure it out in four years’ time - and all those things are perfectly okay!
2. Get into good habits and set good time management skills. It’s so crucial to take care of your health and mental wellness. Also, typically at university you have a lot more autonomy over how your schedule looks relative to high school, which is something that catches a lot of people off guard when transitioning from high school to postsecondary. I think those habits of caring for yourself, as well as scheduling your time (and doing so more efficiently) are really important - and the sooner you invest into those habits the sooner you will find success.
3. Find your people. Be willing to talk to people, have conversations, and understand that finding your social circle is a process itself!
4. Get involved with things that interest you, even if it’s outside of Commerce. In my first year, I got involved with extracurriculars outside of Commerce and I saw how much that benefited me, in terms of getting out of the ‘Commerce bubble,’ and connecting with a different group of folks. I think you can get a lot of perspective by talking to people outside our program, which I believe is a super valuable environment to be around at some point or at some level.
5. Try new things! Don’t be afraid to venture off the common path and try something new or different. Don’t be afraid to be unconventional, as long as you are making sure that you’re being authentic to yourself.”
What are you most excited for/looking forward to this upcoming school year?
“People! I’m so excited to see people again, see all the friends I’ve made in the virtual environment, and welcome the incoming class along with our wonderful second-years. I’m also thrilled for the massive culture shift that’s been apparent in our program. I’m excited to feel that culture shift, see it materialize, be a part of it, and exist in it! The program that I entered 4 years ago is not the same program we’re in today, and I'm very happy about that - this community and culture of care is really starting to pick up, and that makes me beyond ecstatic.
I can’t wait to grow, learn, and be back in the classroom. I’m ready for the good times, difficult times, surprises, and everything in between. The pandemic has made me realize how much I’ve taken for granted about existing in a space like Smith and having access to study spaces as well as social networks around me.
Lastly, I’m excited to see what ComSoc can do: how we can serve students, maximize the student experience, and facilitate an inclusive program where everyone feels safe and comfortable in their skin. I’m not only overjoyed but also honoured to be serving the Commerce community, and honoured that folks trusted me with this role.”
What has been a favourite memory of yours regarding your time at Queen’s?
“My favourite experience at Queen’s so far has been getting involved with the musical in my first year, through the AMS. I knew that in high school, I never got the chance to explore this artistic/musical/dancer/ theatrical side of me. It’s always been there, but there wasn’t an infrastructure that supported it at my high school. At the first-year welcome fair, I happened to walk by the musical booth. It was called Pages: The Musical by Queen’s Students on Broadway (QSB). Pages: The Musical was Queen's first ever student-written musical featuring student-written music, and I was really fortunate to get cast in a somewhat principal role, as the comedic relief of the play. It was such a different experience - I bonded with my castmates in a way that’s hard to describe. Becoming close with them was inevitable in the sense that there were weeks where you’d have something like 14 hours of rehearsals in one day. It was definitely intensive in terms of the amount of time that has to go into something like the musical! In acting in a musical, I was able to find a channel that was authentic to me and tap into a part of myself that I seldom get to, which makes this one of my favourite experiences at Queen’s so far. Plus I connected with a ton of people (in the cast and crew) who became like a community and really broadened my horizons!”