Endowment created in memory of former UFV student leader Zack Soderstrom
It’s been more than a decade since Zack Soderstrom walked the halls of the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), but his legacy lives on through projects he worked on during his time on the Student Union Society.
Zack passed away unexpectedly in January.
An endowment has been created by Zack’s friend and former SUS colleague Shane Potter. Through the endowment, administered by UFV, an annual bursary will honour the memory of a man who made a lasting mark on the UFV community.
“I wanted to create something that keeps his story alive,” Shane says. “He was a guy who came forward because he saw real problems and wanted to create solutions. He was involved in so much stuff during his time at UFV, and I think it’d be good for people to know how he was able to make change in a way that is really inspiring.”
Shane and Zack served on the SUS executive board in the early 2010s. Shane says Zack was very innovative, bringing lots of interesting ideas to the table.
“He was a very calm and logical presence,” Shane recalls. “He always tried to see all sides of an issue and brought a different perspective on things. It was easy to work with him on major projects, and he was someone you gravitated to for advice because he was very wise.”
Zack played a vital role in the opening of UFV’s Student Union Building, and the creation of the inter-campus shuttle service — two projects that continue to have a positive impact on UFV students.
“There used to be no transit at all between the Chilliwack and Abbotsford campuses. Bus 66 didn’t exist. Nothing existed,” Shane notes. “Zack was integral in that project because of his gift for creating connections. He was so in touch with the community, knew all the clubs and associations, and was the best on-the-ground person we had for getting the student support that we needed to launch the shuttle service that students use today.”
Shane says Zack was never one who’d take the front-facing spotlight roles. He took on the demanding work behind the scenes with relentless enthusiasm.
“He talked to people, and listened to their honest perspectives,” Shane says. “That was his big strength. He saw his role as bringing other people’s concerns forward, advocating for people who came to him because he was such a natural listener.”
As a friend, Shane says Zack was very kind, honest, understanding, and compassionate. He is greatly missed.
“I liked that he was so down-to-earth,” Shane says. “A lot of his friends looked to him for support.”
Zack lived in the Baker House student residence and worked on a lot of ‘welcome back’ activities, getting students acclimated as they started or returned to school each semester. If you’ve ever enjoyed the company of therapy dogs on campus, Zack used to run it as an event during exam time and was the first to bring it on as a SUS event.
“He also created a Saturday Morning Cartoon club,” Shane said with a smile. “It was just what it sounds like — sitting around talking, eating, and watching cartoons.”
The bursary is currently earmarked for a student enrolled in English, media arts, or journalism, but Shane hopes to connect with UFV and the Student Union Society on a potential partnership.
