UWindsor faculty, staff and volunteer students were out in force this weekend at the Ontario Universities' Fair, held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The fair, which is the largest of its kind in Canada, gives potential students a chance to test drive a number of universities before making that all-important decision about where to spend their next four years.

Visitors to UWindsor's booth had a chance to speak with UWindsor representatives who were on hand to provide information on programs, admission requirements, student life, residence information, finances and more. UWindsor's newest addition to their booth this year was a minature hockey rink where future Lancers could try their best slapshot. Toronto Maple Leaf player alumni Darcy Tucker and Brad May were at the booth to greet visitors from 12:30 to 2 p.m. on Sunday thanks to UWindsor's exclusive partnership with Maple Leaf Sports &  Entertainment. 

According to Dave Bussiere, Vice-President, Records & Admissions, UWindsor saw substantial growth in the number of visitors to their booth this year with a 46 percent increase in contact with potential students since 2011. He also reported an increase in UWindsor attendees at the fair from 90 in 2011 to 130 this year - mostly by student attendees who he said are best suited to discuss programs and student experience.

"If you looked at our booth, you saw a lot of action," said Katia Benoit, Director of Recruiting. "It was a combination of the UWindsor people and the interactive parts of the booth."

This year's booth included a hockey display that highlighted the recent strategic deal between UWindsor and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. It included a chance to win scholarships, sports tickets and UWindsor paraphernalia.The booth also included interactive components from Engineering, Computer Sicence, Human Kinetics, Digital Journalism, and a flight simulator to promote the FAHSS degree in Aeronautic Leadership.

Diplomatic globe-trotting is the goal of many university students who spend years honing their academic and personal skills for the opportunity to represent Canada. But for first-year UWindsor law student Leenat Jilani, a chance response to a mass email proposal turned her into a diplomatic veteran while she was still an undergrad.

Leenat will be one of five promising young Canadians to accompany Prime Minister Stephen Harper to the APEC CEO Summit in Bali, Indonesia October 2, as part of Global Vision Junior Team Canada, where she will participate in the APEC Voices of the Future Summit, as well as a number of endeavours intended to encourage foreign investment in Canada.

She became involved with Global Vision, a national charitable organization which encourages young Canadians to promote Canadian industry in the global marketplace, as an undergraduate student at Western’s Brescia University College. Leenat felt her studies in political science and social justice and peace were a good fit for the organization and attended a Global Vision Leaders Centre session following a mass email invitation.

An impressive showing at the session earned her an invitation to join the organization’s 21-member Junior Team Canada in 2011, where she participated in a trade mission to Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

The following year she was invited by Minister of Foreign Affairs John Baird to represent the country as one of seven Canadian delegates at the youth arm of the G20, called the Y20 Summit, held in Puebla Mexico. As rapporteur for her summit working group, she helped create the Puebla Agreement, which was later presented to Mexican President Felipe Calderon. Most recently, Leenat served as team leader on Global Vision’s Junior Team China, an inbound delegation of Chinese youth coming to learn about Canada.

While in Bali, Leenat and her team will meet with government, business, community, and youth leaders from the Asia-Pacific region and across the globe to increase Canada’s profile at APEC. They will specifically be tasked with promoting Invest Canada, a division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development.

"I am honored to be playing a role in helping to increase Canada's profile at APEC and excited to be doing it as a Windsor Law student,"  Leenat said.

For the Bali trip, she will pack a UWindsor 50^th anniversary t-shirt and other UWindsor goodies to pass along to the prime minister and expects to return with more memories and experience than could fit into a suitcase of any size.

Leenat will post photos and daily updates of her experience on the Faculty of Law webpage, www.uwindsor.ca/law.