Martin Mei’s path to becoming deeply immersed in campus life stems from his desire to meet people and fully engage in the McGill community. His involvement covers all areas of campus life—from working at the McGill Bookstore and Dave’s Store in the basement of the Bronfman Building, holding the position of VP Engagement for Jeux du Commerce (JDC), an annual case competition, and to being selected as a social media ambassador for the Desautels Faculty of Management.
A second-year marketing major with a minor in world cinema, Mei’s first thrust into the McGill community was catalyzed by not living in residence during his first year.
“I lived off-campus first year so I felt it was really hard for me to make friends,” Mei said. “[I thought] I really [needed] to find something within my faculty to get involved with, so I actually did JDC and a smaller competition called [Happening Market (HM)] and […] got an award for my leadership position in HM. That’s why I decided to do JDC all over again.”
Mei explained that through JDC, he has cultivated many positive relationships with peers and mentors within his faculty. His ongoing interest in JDC is a product of the school spirit and community that the event unexpectedly fostered.
“[My peers are] really helpful with my courses and they can really direct me to the ways I’m supposed to study at McGill ,which is pretty cool,” said Mei. “Since McGill is such a big school, it’s really hard to find school spirit sometimes. [But] during the JDC weekend […] you’re repping your school, and it’s so much fun.”
Although Mei is only in U1, he has found that his passion for teamwork and leadership has inspired him to take on a mentorship position for others.
“Even though I’m only […] in second year, there are already a lot of kids asking me questions [and] Facebook messaging me everyday, asking me how I got my jobs,” Mei said. “I feel like I’m already helping others, which is great.
Mei’s wide variety extra-curriculars indicate that he is no stranger to new experiences—a quality that also manifests in his interest in fashion.
“I’m a GQ subscriber,” said Mei. “I’m always trying different things so I don’t mind trying something too crazy—I’m pretty open to different styles.”
In future pursuits, Mei hopes to extend his involvement outside of the Faculty of Management. Mei is currently a member of DriveSafe, TV McGill (TVM), and plays and referees several intramural teams including flag football, soccer, and basketball. He also hopes to continue cultivating his passion for film studies through his involvement in film production with TVM.
“[I’m] just trying to do as much [production] as possible,” said Mei. “I have a GoPro so I do crazy activities. I go skydiving and try to make a film out of it. [I also do this] whenever I go to the case competitions […..It’s great to have this] for recruitment and for the future too.”
Q&A
McGill Tribune (MT): If you could curate a talent show with anyone alive or dead, who would your top three choices be?
Martin Mei (MM): Well, definitely Michael Jackson. I want to see some of those moves, and also I want to see [Kanye West] right beside Michael Jackson and see what [West] would say—it’d be pretty funny to watch. And probably Magic Johnson the basketball player.
MT: What type of dog breed would you be if you were a dog?
MM: I would either be a corgi or a lab because they are my favourites, and because […] they’re really friendly looking.
MT: Would you rather turn into a car every time you sneezed or have a different Instagram filter appear over your eyes every time you blinked?
MM: Oh I would like that—the filter effect. I want to see the world in different ways, and I’m a big fan of Instagram.
