Frank Finley

Biography

The political and legal worlds are a fascination of mine, and I believe they can be a catalyst for positive social change. As an undergraduate majoring in Political Science & Law and Society, I am committed to a multitude of goals: pursuing the tenets of human rights through the realm of public policy, improving our civil and governmental institutions, and striving to be an advocate for young people.

For the past few years, I have been involved in student politics. During spring of my first year, I was elected to the University of Calgary Students’ Union as a Faculty of Arts Representative. As an Arts Representative, I acted as the collective voice of 7300 undergraduate students, with degrees ranging from Economics to Drama. I was elected to a second term in spring of the next year. During my time at the Students’ Union, I worked to create a more engaged campus through outreach and advocacy to administration within the faculty. During my second term, I founded the Q Centre Pride Scholarship, which provides four $1500 scholarships to deserving students each year.

This past March, I continued my path on student politics, winning election as the undergraduate representative for 25,000 students on the University of Calgary Board of Governors. The Board of Governors is the highest legislative body of the institution, and deals with everything from the passing of the budget to presidential appointment. As a Governor of the University of Calgary, I am responsible for the stewardship of the university and hope to positively influence policy and governance for a more student-centric approach.

Over the past three summers, I have also had the opportunity to work within my field. The summer after my first year, I worked for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, then the next as a Ministerial Intern for the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. This past summer, I worked as a Stakeholder Relations Intern for the Alberta Office of the Premier. Through these internships, I have been able to further my interest in governance and the political process.

In addition to my academics, I am an avid photographer and amateur historian. During the summers, I travel across the Canadian prairies exploring ghost towns and abandoned homesteads. I am fascinated with documenting everything I find, and am now all too curious to stop. When I am not photographing ghost towns, you can find me researching historic Calgary architecture and city planning at museums or in the university archives.