C O L L E G E
A RTICUL AT ING VA LUE BE YON D PR AC TIC A LIT Y by Behzad Memarzadeh, Senior Common Room President Behzad left his home city of Vancouver, Canada and arrived at Sancta in 2017 after deciding to leave the business world behind in pursuit of a career in Medicine. Currently in his second year of the Doctor of Medicine at The University of Sydney, Behzad’s passion for the Sancta community saw him elected as Senior Common Room President for 2018.
In today’s ever more competitive society, being able to distinguish oneself is the key to success. Of course, everyone has the same twenty-four hours in the day and how one spends it has a direct impact on their competitiveness. University Colleges, being hubs of academic, athletic, cultural, and leadership opportunity, provide a medium for everyone to be involved in as many activities as they can manage. A simple value for dollar comparison between living at University Colleges compared to alternatives reveals that when one takes everything into account — namely the proximity to classes, time saved in transportation and meal preparation, as well as the presence of aforementioned opportunities — Colleges stand high at a great advantage. Furthermore, Colleges enable each resident to become a modern Renaissance person, capable of investing their time in as many activities as they so choose, thereby enhancing their own growth and development. An aspect of College life that will have more long-term dividends is the opportunity to interact with individuals from diverse academic fields and experiences. This is one distinct advantage offered by Sancta, with its network of knowledgeable and experienced students, professionals and academics residing and remaining connected with our community. This network will serve as the foundation of future success for residents, as they will have great exposure to a multitude of multidisciplinary ideas that will help them provide the interdisciplinary solutions to contemporary problems. Moreover, living for an extended period with individuals from diverse backgrounds enables one to hone what likely is the most valuable challenges of the 21st century: intersectional communication. In other words, to be able
to communicate effectively with the lawyer, the engineer, the art historian and the doctor is a skill that one can consistently rely on, both professionally and personally. By forming strong friendships with individuals from diverse backgrounds and fields, one can also be inspired by ideas specific to other fields and apply them to their own area of expertise. While each College has its own cultures and traditions, Sancta’s are particularly well suited to the challenges of the 21st century. Being the first College with a coed postgraduate building, Sancta provides young women and men the opportunity to work together in addressing the community’s challenges. Furthermore, beyond the recognition of the challenges of the 21st century, it is Sancta’s approach to solving these challenges that make us an exceptional place to live. Sancta’s motto of “Walk in Wisdom” is not a mere nod to our traditions, but rather the recognition that solutions to the challenges of society lie in the application of ancient wisdoms. More specifically, Sancta’s greatest wisdom is the realisation that in a society where people have become more isolated despite greater means of communication, one can only grow to ever higher pinnacles of personal and professional achievement by having their roots planted deeply in the fertile grounds of a supportive community. At the heart of Sancta’s success is this community that fosters the development of inspired and empowered individuals, ready to take on the challenges of the 21st century. We are glad to be counting on you as a member of our community.
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