Connecting people, empowering communities: A BCom student’s leadership journey
At just 18, Sophia Vaillant has already saved her local hospital thousands of dollars and been honoured with a national medal for community leadership. This BCom student has a passion for bringing people together to collaborate on impactful projects.
By Jon Chabun
Sophia Vaillant entered her second year in the BCom program this fall with multiple honours for her impact in the community. The Comox native was 1 of 20 students in Canada to receive the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership and in September 2024 she was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her contribution to her community.
Her passion for bringing people together started early. In high school, Vaillant helped create a 3D printed hospital training tool called the CRIC that saved the hospital in the Comox Valley $12,000. She founded Zenius Labs: a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) club for girls and gender-diverse students.
Her drive to find creative solutions to community challenges, coupled with her leadership skills, led her to Gustavson.
Loving life at UVic
“I fell in love with the structure of the BCom program because it gives you that flexibility in the first 2 years,” says Vaillant of why Gustavson was a fit. “And then as you move into (BCom) core, you're really working with a solid network of people that you can build your connections with.”
She says that she is loving UVic right now. “I really appreciate how much I feel like a person here. I would go to the Zoom recruitment sessions and I'd have my camera on. And after the second one, the people started to recognize me — and I mean, I have pink hair, I'm recognizable. I'd send an email with a question and two hours later, I’d have a response. I felt seen and supported.” Vaillant also appreciates the diversity of the faculty, noting many of her professors are women.
Empowered by the flexibility of the BCom program, Vaillant has taken classes across disciplines including gender studies, theatre for community building and community engaged learning. She says this pre-core experience has further strengthened her facilitation skills, building on her previous work facilitating workshops in the community.
Making connections has been a highlight of Vaillant's time at UVic, where she has loved meeting new people from across campus.
“I have a ton of friends that I've met here. Being in dorms last year made it so, so easy to make friends.” She also credits her participation with the Gender Empowerment Center and AIR (Advocacy for Inclusive Recreation) Climbing for her “super awesome community”.
Finding her path
Vaillant has a diverse set of interests and skills: from sewing to community theatre to STEM-focused robotics to 3D printing! So, how did she end up in business school?
“The common thread really was connecting different people with different strengths together to work on one project that everyone is passionate about,” says Vaillant. For her, business was the next logical step to build the resources and skills to do just that. Her mom, a business graduate, exposed her to all “the different things that you can do with a business degree.”
Giving back to the community
Even while at university, Vaillant has continued to give back to her community in Comox.
A big Taylor Swift fan, Vaillant scored 4 tickets to a concert in Vancouver in December. She and her mom decided to donate 2 of their tickets to the Lake Trail Community Education Society. They hope to raise $20,000 to benefit the society through a ticket raffle.
“I know how important having extracurriculars and community around you can be, and I want to help support that moving forward,” she says.
A learning mindset
Vaillant’s next steps might seem unexpected.
“I don't have a plan but that's on purpose,” she says. “My only real goal at this stage in my life is to learn everything I can from everyone I can. Ask questions, take opportunities as they come to me and to just keep meeting interesting people.”
Last year, she really connected with “the energy and mindset” of Taylor McCarten, MBA ’19, during a panel presentation. “After class, I was chatting with him and I connected with him on LinkedIn afterwards. I ended up taking him for coffee, just so I could talk with him more.”
Vaillant admits to dealing with anxiety when talking to people but uses every opportunity to seek advice. “Reach out because the worst thing anyone can do is say no.”
Though Vaillant may not have a defined destination, her mindset—focused on making meaningful connections and embracing opportunities—shows she is poised to grow as a community leader.