Laurie Langille, Executive Assistant to the President and the Board of Governors

Laurie Langille connected with Maggie Matear to talk about life at Selkirk College and beyond.

What brought you here to Selkirk College?

When I was the constituency assistant with Michelle Mungall before arriving here, I often ended up working with Catherine Harder, who has just retired, to coordinate meetings between the college and the MLA. She’s such a lovely person, and I thought if that’s the kind of person who works at the college, I’d like to be a part of that too. And when an opportunity came up, I applied for it and got it.   

What's one of your favourite Selkirk College moments?

I know everyone says this, but Convocation is my favourite time every year. I’ve always been part of the organizing committee, and it’s inspiring to see how all the departments work together to pull it off so successfully. And I get to spend a lot of the day with students and their families who are just overjoyed at being there.  

What's the best piece of advice you ever got?

The best advice I ever got was from a coworker (who told me she got it from an instructor she had at Selkirk College!): “You can’t antagonize people and influence them at the same time.” 

What's something you enjoy doing outside of work?

I love trail running on any trail in the Kootenays, especially the ones above Nelson. And I run a monthly Silent Book Club in Nelson, which has been a lot of fun and really rewarding. There’s no assigned book and no forced conversation. We meet at a local brewery, and everyone brings a book to read… then we all have a beer and just read silently together. 

Please share a non-work-related recommendation! 

I’ve been trying to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies for this year (and not just the best picture nominees!). I highly recommend the movie Sentimental Value—it’s a Norwegian movie that’s up for Best International Film and Best Picture. It’s about two sisters who are pulled back into their distant father’s path when he decides to make a movie about their family.