The Northern Undergraduate Student Society (NUGSS) was forced to shift their operations online this year, but President Jingyu Chen says it's not all bad.

Chen, a fifth year student at the University of Northern British Columbia studying Environmental Science and Human Geography, began his tenure in April 2020, just as the realities of COVID-19 were beginning to be understood. While the absence of in-person events has dealt a blow to the student-led organizations and student life more generally, Chen sees the positive impact of online learning as well, stating the shift has removed certain barriers and encouraged participation from students who may not have felt comfortable engaging in group discussion in person. He says that NUGSS has been getting creative with how they offer support to their constituency and it already planning for the eventual transition back to campus life. Through multiple disruptions to learning in the past few years, the faculty strike last year and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, NUGSS has continued to work to support students in their changing academic landscapes.

Listen to the interview with NUGSS president, Jingyu Chen, as he talks about the challenges and opportunities of the past year.