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Alumnus Tyler Ludwig is loving Life-after-Concordia

Tyler Ludwig learned to lead on the field and court, captaining rugby and volleyball teams. But it wasn’t until Tyler got to Concordia that he realized what leadership is really all about.

“Getting involved in the Students Association, it was like this whole other world opened up,” says the 2015 Concordia grad. Once he got a taste of student politics, Tyler quickly went from the sidelines to the front lines, working as the SA Athletic Coordinator and then VP Internal. Planning events, coordinating clubs and helping out with the campus newspaper might have seemed a natural fit for the charismatic athlete. Not necessarily so.

“To be honest, I didn’t do that well at it,” Tyler chuckles. “But I listened and I learned and I just kept trying. I basically lived on campus – you can ask any janitor, we all got to be friends.”

In his fifth year (and with a full course load) the double major in HR and Leadership took on the SA Presidency. He also found time to chair the Alberta Student Executive Council, representing 16 post-secondary institutions across the province.

“Being a student leader, you’re on 24/7. You’re always serving, lending a helping hand. You take it upon yourself to help out,” Tyler shares, “You want to create that accountability and you need to engage students and build those relationships with the people who make Concordia a special place – the alumni, staff and faculty.”

Since graduating, Tyler has been an invaluable resource to the Concordia Alumni Association, taking on the role of member at large. And he’s already leveraged those Concordia connections to start a small business, find work in real estate sales, and go door knocking for Concordia board member and Edmonton West federal election candidate Karen Leibovici, something that’s lit a fire under Tyler with an eye towards a future political career.

“It all comes back to networking. You’ve just got to get involved when you’re a student to make those connections. And continuing to be involved with your university as an alumni helps you make professional relationships that just might bring great value in the future.”