Anicha Anli

“I’m extra motivated to excel in school as a student athlete.”

Anicha Anli balances being a double major with a rich life outside of the classroom as a rugby player and Sustainability Ambassador.

As a double major, how do you like both of your programs?

I love them. I started off with Human Environment and I thought it was really interesting, but I wanted to add something more complementary. I chose to do Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies because later in life I might want to work on environmental policy for the government.

What else do you do at Concordia?

I play on the rugby team, which I love. It’s a big part of my life, especially in the fall because we train four times a week and have games on the weekend. It’s one of the main reasons why I get up and go to school. You spend time and bond with people who love rugby and its culture as much as you do. It's important to have a community of people who support you and who you love.

What's it like being a student athlete?

Sometimes it can be hectic, especially since this year I challenged myself to be part of the Sustainability Ambassadors program. But I think finding balance is very important. Our coaches always tell us that you're a student first, so being an athlete is just a bonus. After practice, sometimes my teammates and I go study at the library together. We train at Loyola Campus so the library is close to us, and studying with others is always more motivating.

What are you working on as a Sustainability Ambassador?

We have one session per week based on environmental justice. My group decided to do a university-wide audit of the waste at Concordia. We want to know what students put in the garbage, recycle and compost and see how we can cut back on consumption. With those numbers, we want to be able to educate people and hopefully get the university to have better policies to reduce waste on campus.

What are your favourite things about being on campus?

All of my classes are at Sir George Williams, but when I go to rugby practice at Loyola I take the shuttle, which is very easy and practical. Loyola is beautiful with all the grass and trees, but I mostly spend time at the sports complex. The downtown Sir George Williams Campus is really great, especially if you're coming from out of the country. One of the main perks of Concordia, aside from the great facilities and great people, is how the main buildings are connected underground. You can go to class, the gym and the metro without needing to go outside.