According to Kiefer Sinclair, having too much on your plate is a good problem to have, and it’s a philosophy he has embraced during his time at Lakeland College.

Academically, Sinclair is a student in Lakeland’s business program. Outside of the classroom, he is a student-athlete on the Rustlers men’s volleyball team, one of the coaches at Little Rustlers Camps, an elected member of the Student’s Association (SA) and a residence assistant (RA). He also attends as many events as he can, helping to organize some of them.

Sinclair came to Lakeland from Sydney, Australia, choosing to study business because of how versatile it is.

“I chose general business because I can apply it to all parts of my life” says Sinclair. “Whatever I want to do in the future, I can apply business, so I thought it would be the most realistic in picking a career path.”

He decided to get as involved in campus life as he could as a means of building connections, enhancing the skills he was learning in the classroom, and making the most of his time at college.

In his work on the SA, Sinclair meets with Lakeland’s senior leadership team, working to represent the students’ interests.

“It really sets you up for what I imagine working life will be like,” he says. “You gain skills like learning how to act professionally, submitting reports and reading policies, coming up with negotiations and building solutions that benefits all parties.”

He also worked on his professional skills like public speaking and event management when he helped out with the Inspiring Women’s Conference.

“It's nice building like a sense of college community. Wherever Lakeland is I'm involved somehow,” Sinclair says, crediting both his time management skills and Lakeland’s supportive campus culture with helping him make the most of his opportunities.

When his commitments pile up, he finds staff and faculty are more than willing to do anything they can to help him balance life as a student, an athlete, a member of the SA, an RA, and whatever else he has gotten himself into.

“It’s such a supportive and understanding school,” he says. “That helps you to just go for it. Get involved, build connections.”

It’s that campus culture that has Sinclair thinking he might stay at Lakeland to continue working towards his business degree after he graduates with his diploma.

“It’s what I love about Lakeland,” he says. “And I feel like you miss out on it at big universities. You’re a bigger fish in a smaller pond rather than plankton in an ocean.”

He advises his fellow students to get involved as much as they can as well.

“Don’t be shy,” Sinclair says. “Dip your toes in everything. As silly as it sounds, it’s a great problem to have too much on your plate. There’s plenty of time to mess up but Lakeland is a safe place to test it all out.”