Ben Dashtestani ('12 BSc CivE, '13 MEng) is an active University of Alberta volunteer who joined the Alumni Student Support and Engagement Team (ASSET) in Fall 2023. Ben’s deep passion for working with people has underlined his journey from student to
professional engineer at Worley Limited and he thrives while mentoring and engaging with others.

Ben volunteers primarily with the ASSET program, a group of alumni volunteers dedicated to supporting U of A students, but has also helped out with other campus initiatives and events such as U of A Days. He also mentors a recent grad through the Alumni-to-Alumni Mentorship program. He loves being on campus, calling it one of his favorite places in Edmonton because “you can always meet a new interesting person”.

Ben learned about the ASSET from a student friend in Engineering who received support from the program and his interest was piqued. ASSET volunteers work with students in a variety of ways, from passing out snacks during the exam period to providing supportive conversations throughout the school year. Ben loves the conversations he has with students and enjoys hearing the stories and experiences, as well as the concerns and worries that they are having during their programs. He relates to what
many of them are going through and appreciates sharing his perspective while learning from them. Every ASSET event he has attended has had a meaningful experience; whether he is creating a welcoming environment with games and mocktails at the Campus Social Hour or providing career advice for students approaching the end of their degrees.

Another perk to volunteering with ASSET, according to Ben, is the other volunteers he has the opportunity to meet. Everyone on the team is also a U of A grad, so he has something in common with everyone, but each volunteer also brings their unique
background and life experiences to the table. He enjoys meeting and learning from new people, and ASSET offers a friendly and approachable way to do that: “If you haven’t volunteered before, ASSET might be one of the best things you can do,” Ben says.
“Everyone is so welcoming and supportive - it’s a really collegiate environment”.

Ben recommends volunteering as a way to give back to your community, but also as a way to give to yourself - whether that is through new friends, connections, and experiences. He himself has seen the differences in people before and after
volunteering, noting that it’s worth making the time for as it can improve your quality of life.