Jonas Szelewicki ('19 BSc, '23 MD) began his volunteer work as a student and has continued his dedication even after graduating. Now volunteering as a member of Alumni Council, he shares his experiences, the impact of his work, and what keeps him coming back. Read on to learn more about his journey! 

Alumni Council is Now Recruiting for 2025- 2028! Alumni Council volunteers serve as ambassadors for the University of Alberta, providing input on strategies and programming that strengthen the relationships current and future graduates have with the university and with each other. You can learn more about Alumni Council here.

1. What is your degree and what do you do for work?

 

I completed my Bachelor of Science in 2019 and Doctor of Medicine in 2023 at the University of Alberta. I am currently working as a resident physician in Diagnostic and Molecular Pathology, training to be a pathologist. Virtually any tissue removed from a patient from a suspicious mole to a breast lump to a lung mass is sent to the pathology lab for examination under a microscope for diagnosis. Members of the public are often familiar with pathologists for their role in performing hospital and forensic autopsies. 

 

I also work casually for the U of A facilitating weekly case-based learning for medical students in China as part of an international collaboration between medical schools in Edmonton and Wenzhou, China.

 

2. What made you decide to volunteer with the University?  What do you do as a volunteer? What do you enjoy the most about it?

 

As a U of A student, I served for 6 years as a U of A ambassador, giving campus tours and serving as the face of the university at various programs and events. Membership on Alumni council has similar responsibilities and so it felt like a natural next step in my university journey after convocation. 

 

My main motivation for volunteering is a selfish one - I miss being a student. It does not take much to get me into the Students’ Union Building, if anything! Furthermore, in these challenging, even baffling times, returning to campus spaces and interacting with students and fellow like-minded alumni grounds me in community in a way that not much else can. 

 

3. Tell us about the volunteering you do for the University of Alberta. Do you do any other volunteering? How much time do you spend per month volunteering?

 

I strive to ensure all my volunteer activities are personally meaningful. As the representative of the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry on Alumni Council, I serve to enhance alumni connections with the University of Alberta and each other.  I also serve as a member of the Awards sub-committee where I assist with the selection of award recipients for U of A alumni with remarkable and inspiring accomplishments.

My other main volunteer commitment at the moment is the Special Olympics. For almost 10 years I have used my experience having a twin brother with intellectual disabilities to coach and support athletes with intellectual and/or physical disabilities in various sports programs, my favourite being softball in the summer time.

 

4. Share a meaningful or fun story about volunteering

 

I recently volunteered as an Alumni Representative at Fall Convocation 2024 where I had the opportunity to give the Alumni address to graduands from multiple faculties. From my seat in the front row on stage, I was lucky to have the best view of all the graduands’ shoes as they crossed the stage! I also learned that some of the most heartfelt moments go unseen by the main audience. From my seat I witnessed many being congratulated and embraced by a faculty mentor behind the curtain. There is comfort in knowing that at the end of the stage (and by extension, the end of this portion of their university journey), is a familiar face. 

 

5. What advice would you give someone interested in volunteering? Why do you think it’s important for people to volunteer their time?

 

 I am not sure if I entirely agree with this perspective but a mentor once told me that the most effective volunteer is the one who recognizes the amount they gain from volunteering is infinitely more than they can give. This is not meant to minimize the impact a volunteer can have, but rather present an opinion that a self-serving motivation (as one of many) can ironically make us even better at serving others. As someone who is holding on to my university years through volunteering,  I am reminded of a remark spoken at the Alumni Awards Ceremony I volunteered at this past October - “At the U of A your adventure is just beginning.”