Pathways to Leadership: Meet CBUSU President, Paarth Mehla

Paarth Mehla is stepping into his final year of studies with a clear mission for the student body. Taking the helm as the President of the Cape Breton University Students’ Union, Paarth is ready to translate three years of active campus involvement into tangible support for his peers.

Path to the Presidency​

How does one start in New Delhi, India, and wind up elected President of a Students’ Union that represents over 3000 students? Family heavily influenced Paarth’s journey to Cape Breton University. He originally planned to study medicine in his home country before his sister’s positive experience shifted his perspective.​

“Initially, I was going to join med school in India,” Paarth says. “But my sister was already here by then. Seeing how well things were going for her inspired me to come to Canada too. I found CBU’s Bachelor of Science program to have a very good reputation, so I wanted to come here.” ​

Enrolled in a double major in biology and psychology, Paarth spent his first three years at CBU immersing himself in campus life. His footprint on campus includes volunteering as an ally at the Pride and Ally Centre, representing students on the Student Representative Council, working as a Residence Assistant and managing the CBUSU Drive Home Program. When the executive elections approached, he saw an opportunity to cap off his university experience.

“This is my last year, so I wanted to give it a shot, run in the elections, and see how it goes,” Paarth says. “Who knows when I will ever be able to experience something like this again? Luckily, I won the election and the rest is history.”

Community-Focused Leadership

Once in office, his focus quickly turned toward maximizing engagement and ensuring his peers are aware of the resources available to them. Having missed out on certain opportunities during his early university years, Paarth wanted to make sure that wouldn’t be the case for others.

“Missing out on opportunities simply because you didn’t know they existed is something I experienced firsthand as a student,” Paarth says. “Building awareness and bringing those resources to the attention of every student is a priority for me this year, because one single opportunity can put a student on a great trajectory.”

For Paarth, building that awareness is the first step toward building a stronger campus. He believes that getting students actively involved naturally creates a tight-knit community, which he sees as the most effective way to tackle broader challenges.

“When people are driven towards a common goal and connected in a community, a lot of great things can be accomplished,” Paarth says. “That is why my focus this year is entirely community-driven.”

That desire to build an active, vibrant community extends beyond the campus, too. When stepping away from his executive duties and his coursework, Paarth is an avid outdoorsman and athlete. Whether he is playing a pickup game of soccer, basketball or cricket, or exploring local hikes like the Kluskap Cave (Fairy Hole) Trail, Paarth always stays moving. He hopes to bring that same boundless energy and appreciation for his surroundings directly into his leadership style.

“I want to be someone who doesn’t say no to any idea, who is a happy and involved person, and who wants to share that happiness and experience with every student,” Paarth says. “I think the biggest thing is I want to be remembered as a Students’ Union President who created a happy environment on campus and everywhere he went.”