Are you ready to LVLup?

Student Faiz Mahmud Wants You to Turbocharge Your Leadership Skills

Making life better for others and supporting your community are essential traits of a good leader. Just ask Faiz Mahmud.

For the past three years, he's been a friendly face that students can rely on during an exciting, and sometimes nerve-wracking, moment in their lives.

After graduating from Lakehead, Faiz says that "my goal is to become either an embryologist or a biologist who develops infertility treatments."

He takes pride in welcoming students to campus by helping them move into residence, leading campus tours, and hosting student activity booths.

"Orientation lets you meet your fellow students and make them feel comfortable in their new community," says Faiz, a fourth-year applied life sciences student from Bangladesh with a concentration in biomedical science. 

One reason that he excels as an orientation leader is because he's a graduate of Lakehead's LVLup Leadership program. It's designed to give students on the Orillia and Thunder Bay campuses the core leadership skills they need to thrive—both in life and in their chosen careers.

"I really appreciated being able to meet new people and have new experiences through LVLup, it was fantastic!" he says.

Get the LVLup Advantage

Why should you become a LVLup leader?

"Unless you have a cohesive action plan, it's difficult to broaden your skills in a meaningful manner when you're a full-time student," Faiz says.

LVLup provides free workshops, which are open to any Lakehead student, and volunteer opportunities that foster leadership, communication, advocacy, and problem-solving skills.

And LVLup makes it easy to develop these competencies. You just need to attend three workshops of your choice and complete 10 hours of volunteering.

Although LVLup students must complete 10 volunteer hours, they often end up volunteering many more hours than required and participate in the full series of workshops. Above, Faiz and Wolfie show some Thunderwolves spirit.

Once you finish the program, you'll receive an official LVLup Certificate indicating your competencies at the Lakehead Leader Awards Ceremony held every March. Your certification will appear on your co-curricular record and can be downloaded from the mySuccess webpage.

"The program can be done in one or two semesters," he says. "And if you have a time-pressure issue, LVLup leaders are flexible on how long you have to fulfil your volunteer requirements."

They also make it simple to work volunteering into your schedule. It can be done at SSC and Lakehead departmental activities throughout the year—like Fall Orientation and student experience events—or with community organizations.

Faiz says that giving orientation tours allowed him to strengthen his public speaking skills. "I talk to students and parents about their concerns and familiarize them with buildings and resources on campus," he says. Above, Faiz (front centre) and his fellow orientation leaders host activities at Thunder Bay's Marina Park during the Downtown Adventure Day, which introduces students to Thunder Bay.

These volunteer placements offer the additional bonus of providing helpful networking opportunities that can give students a headstart on their careers.

"The program offers a great spectrum of volunteering options, too," Faiz says.

"I volunteered as support staff at Thunder Bay's Wake the Giant Music Festival, and it was the most fun LVLup placement I've had. After I did my shift, I was able to go to the concert, listen to great songs, and meet the bands."

"LVLup supplements your resume," he says. "It shows that you did more at university than just studying."

The Student Success Centre is Here for You

"I feel lucky to have met Faiz from just about the moment he stepped on campus!" says Student Success Advisor Hartley Mendelsohn.

"It has been a pleasure watching him grow both personally and professionally, and it has been incredibly rewarding to see how he has taken the opportunities available to him and turned them into meaningful accomplishments.

He has also consistently gone above and beyond, bringing a high level of enthusiasm, reliability, and commitment to events both on and off campus."

Faiz has had some exceptional research opportunities. Last summer, in support of the Manomin Project—an initiative between the University of Guelph and Niisaachewan Anishinaabe Nation (NAN) aimed at restoring manomin (wild rice) and revitalizing Anishinaabe culture and food security—he collected wild rice DNA from pottery shards dating from 650-1600 AD. Above, Faiz (far right) at Lakehead's Paleo DNA Laboratory where he analyzed the DNA samples.

In fact, it was Faiz's LVLup skills that led to him being hired as a student engagement lead last year.

This demanding role required him to assist students confronting a multitude of challenges—ranging from liaising with SSC partners and assisting with program development to responding to the needs of new students and helping lead volunteer teams.

"Being a student engagement lead taught me how to listen to students' problems, reassure them that their concerns are valid, and let them know that their voices are being heard," Faiz says.

He encourages every Lakehead student to check out the wealth of resources available at the Student Success Centre.

Besides LVLup, the SSC runs a comprehensive orientation and transition program for new students, helps all students navigate core academic and co-curricular experiences, and offers academic success coaching, peer mentorship, and writing workshops.

Faiz also has some advice for first-year students just beginning their Lakehead journey.

"Don't feel overwhelmed or afraid to ask questions. Everyone—from your professors to your residence advisors—are here to help."

Click here to find out about 2026 Orientation events happening at Lakehead Orillia and Lakehead Thunder Bay this fall.

To learn more about the Orillia campus LVLup program, email Student Success Specialist Emily Stewart at orillia.ssc@lakeheadu.ca. To learn more about the Thunder Bay campus LVLup program, contact Student Success Advisor Hartley Mendelsohn at orientation@lakeheadu.ca.