“It’s been quite a journey. It kind of made me a part of a community.”
Jasleen Kaur was never a part of her plan. As a first-year student, she says she often felt left out and found it difficult to connect with her peers. Three years later, she’s the president of the Digital Business Student Association (DBSA), helping build the same sense of connection she once found difficult to find.
Kaur may be new to her club experience, but she is no stranger to school life. Now, she’s in her final year of the Bachelor of Commerce and Digital Business Management program. If that weren’t enough, she’s been appointed as the president of the Digital Business Student Association (DBSA) so early in her club history.
Humble beginnings
The Digital Business Student Association started out as a program-related activity for the Commerce and Digital Business Management program but soon blossomed into a fully fledged IGNITE club in January 2026.
For Kaur, however, her involvement with the club started small.
Still a novice in the club, Kaur joined just two events before eventually stepping into the president role. Their first networking event was an online seminar with gift card prizes, where program alumni coached the club members on how to find work with an online portfolio and how to navigate the job market in the age of AI.
For her, the biggest takeaway was the importance of building connections.
“In Canada, people really need to have connections,” Kaur said. “I found that having a connection is really helpful.”
The second event was more casual. A simple get-together session for the club members to go and have brunch, where they exchanged contact information and shared their experiences and insights into the job market.
“We played games, introduced each other, and just kind of got to know each other,” she said.
What started as a couple of events eventually became something much bigger for Kaur.
Follow the leader
Although Kaur only joined the club earlier this year, her three prior years of being a student have prepared her well for being the president of the club.
“The first year that I came into Humber (Polytechnic), it was like I felt left out because I was the only one who wasn’t talking as much to the students. But slowly I started working in groups and then I got introduced to DBSA,” she said, reminiscing about how a small initiative led to her becoming president. “And then here I am today.”
These experiences now shape how Kaur approaches her role.
Because she remembers what it felt like to start as a quiet student, she wants to help the first-year students become acclimated to post-secondary life and join the club.
“I do want the first-years to experience firsthand how it is to be part of a club, because as a first-year, I wasn’t that open,” she said. “As an official IGNITE club, I think we can do a lot more for people who are very nervous for their first year joining the college.”
The community
Outside of the notable career positives the club provides, it’s the connection and community the club creates that are the most heartwarming.
Kaur has always wanted school life to be more than school; she wanted it to be about community, and the club gave her the ability to accomplish just that.
“It’s been quite a journey. It kind of made me a part of a community,” she said.
And now, she wants other students to experience the same feeling.
The club’s focus on networking and professional development can benefit students beyond the Digital Business Management program. Learning how to market yourself, connect with professionals and navigate the job market are challenges many students face.
“I want others to feel the same way,” she said.
Prior to becoming an IGNITE club, the networking opportunities were only available to business students. Which is why transitioning to becoming an IGNITE club meant so much for the DBSA.
“As an IGNITE club, we could reach out to the whole of Humber and (the University of) Guelph-Humber,” she said.
The future
Taking on the role of president while still navigating her final year of school hasn’t always been easy.
Kaur says being a newer member and taking on the workload has been slightly difficult, but it’s worth the experience, career benefits and the lasting relationships the club brings. It also helps that the people around her chip in and do their part to assist.
“With the team, it gets a little bit easier,” she said. “It’s helping my studies.”
She says she is still learning how to delegate tasks and host successful events but she isn’t doing it alone.
She has the support of IGNITE, her program coordinator and most importantly, her fellow club members to help connect the club with Alumni and plan future networking events.
The club is planning a coffee chat with more Alumni to create more opportunities for everyone.
They are also planning on more sessions to learn about the ins and outs of the many jobs that students can apply for and how to reach out for those opportunities.
She looks forward to meeting more people and growing the club for future students.
“I feel pretty optimistic about the club,” she said.
For students looking to make their own connections beyond the classroom, joining a club can be a simple place to start.
Are you ready to begin your student journey with some excitement and join a club? See a list of potential clubs on MyIGNITE and request to join with a click of a button. It’s that easy.
Feature image courtesy of Jasleen Kaur
