A fourth-year English major and recipient of the 2014 Student Leadership Conference’s Faces of Today award, Francis Arevalo is graduating this year with entrepreneurship and fundraising skills. However, not everything that he has learned has been inside the classroom, or even on campus.
“After I arrived at UBC I realized that I did not want to be an English teacher, as I had originally planned,” Francis said. “I discovered that I had other passions to pursue, such as spoken word and music.”
Despite becoming a part of the artistic community on campus, Francis still felt that navigating his degree was not working for him.
“I actually dropped out of UBC after my second year,” Francis remarked. During his time away from school, he explored and developed his passions and talents. “I needed to detach myself from UBC and try new things on my own terms. I realized that I like self-led projects, and that I am passionate about performing.”
Francis also found a home in Vancouver’s vibrant art and music scene. In an effort to bring UBC and Vancouver artists together, he started “A Night with Friends” in 2011. This annual event brings musicians and artists together to play for each other in a relaxed atmosphere.
Despite his success, Francis still felt like he had unfinished business at UBC and returned to complete his degree in September 2012.
“I had completed half of my degree and felt that I could make the second half better, especially with the campus artistic community. They gave me a support system, and I don’t think that I could have completed university without them,” Francis said.
In December 2013, following Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, Francis decided to evolve “A Night with Friends” into a fundraiser. The event was a success, raising $8,000 for typhoon relief.
With graduation around the corner, Francis urges students to try new things despite the fear and apprehension that accompanies risk.
“People are afraid to fail, and the possibility of failure is a reality,” Francis observed, “but if you learn something from the experience, even if you fail, then you can’t lose.”
