Matthew Robinson

On a journey to empowerment

Matthew Robinson explores leadership in the global capital of governance

Since the 11th grade, Matthew Robinson has been fascinated by how leaders can empower other people, and has been working to become a leader himself. This summer, he will get the experience of a lifetime as he spends 3 weeks in Geneva, Switzerland at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.

The 21-year-old Honours student in both International Studies and Sociology was able to get this incredible opportunity thanks to the B.E.S.T. Projects Fund.

“In my first year, I heard upper year students talking about their experiences with B.E.S.T. They talked about how they were shaped by the experts they met, what they had seen in different countries, and how they found a calling from they work they had done,” the North Bay, Ontario native explains. “At first, I thought, ‘I’m never going to do something like that…I don’t know what I would do!’ But eventually I decided I should just try to take advantage of this opportunity, and I’m so glad I did.”

Matthew is hoping that his short stint in Europe will help him explore what he wants to do after he dons his graduation gown.

“My goal for this trip is to see how I can apply the combination of my degrees,” he says. “I’m excited to explore opportunities with researchers for graduate work. I will be meeting people in the field I’m interested in and seeing what they do. It’s an incredible opportunity to align myself with where I want to be.”

Now that he has been elected president of the Students Representative Council (SRC) for the 2015-16 academic year, Matthew is hoping to use his summer experience to hone his leadership skills. “My mission is to work with people and solve problems. I want to facilitate leadership development in organizations so they can do their work more effectively,” he says. “I’ve always been interested in leadership and what it takes to be a leader. I want to give people the tools they need to solve their own problems.”

He adds: “I love empowering people and giving them the chance to excel. That’s what we do at Bishop’s: students have the opportunity to excel.”

What is B.E.S.T. ?

This story focuses on a recipient of the B.E.S.T. Projects Fund. B.E.S.T. is the premiere experiential learning opportunity at Bishop’s University. In 2010, an anonymous Bishop’s graduate made a gift commitment to establish this opportunity fund at the university. This unique possibility is meant to assist students, determine their career paths and realize their ambitions. It also gives the student the chance to learn outside of the classroom.

The funds are awarded to students whom the Selection Committee believes have the potential for significant achievement and impact once they graduate from Bishop’s. Find out more information about B.E.S.T.