BURNABY – Some athletes yell, some athletes say the right thing at the right time and others lead by example. Bianca Te uses positive energy to inspire her friends and teammates.
 
When it comes to leading others, Te, a senior libero on the SFU women's volleyball team chooses compassion, thoughtfulness, intelligence, and hard-work to lift her teammates. She creates a positive aura and brings energy to everyone around her.
 
"Bianca inspires me to be a better person, to be more honest, to be more compassionate and to be more generous," says teammate Julia Tays. "Plus, she is the hardest working person I know."
 
Te rarely puts herself first. She recognizes that the good of the team comes before any personal goals, embodying the selflessness associated with a servant leader.
 

The Burnaby native is dedicated and determined to make an impact on the court, in school and in her community. This week she was honoured with the 2021 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Excellence in Leadership award. Other finalists were Amanda Janes (softball), Emily Chilton (track & field) and Emma Kramer (basketball).
 
Te has been making a positive impact on the volleyball program since the first day she stepped on campus. "Coming out of high school, I knew Bianca was a great player and student but she still managed to exceed all of my expectations," said head coach Gina Schmidt. "She exemplifies everything a coach looks for in a student-athlete. Bianca strives for excellence in all that she does and is a role model not only on our team but in the greater SFU community."
 
As a younger player, Te often led by example. Now that she is a captain and one of the older players on the team, she has continued to expand her leadership presence both on and off the court. She tries to lift everyone around her by making them feel welcome and heard.
 
Her involvement with SAAC and Special Olympics, among other volunteer activities, demonstrates Te's desire to make a positive impact in the community.
 
When the pandemic caused the cancelation of the 2020-21 sports seasons at SFU, Te took the opportunity to expand her community impact coordinating the SAAC's award-wining Special Olympics program that matches student-athletes in weekly virtual workouts with Special Olympians while leading many of the workouts herself. Te also worked on the Mental Health Committee, helping with the initial campaign planning, research and weekly posts.
 
When the conversation around changing SFU's nickname for its sports teams began, Te showed her support.
 

"Everyone who pushed for this name change are role models for all of us to stand up for things that matter in the world, and to not be scared to have to work through obstacles," explained Te. "We listened, we learned and we stood behind them so I think it speaks to the power of our student-athlete body and how powerful our voices are to make change for the better."
 
A Kinesiology major with a 4.21 cumulative GPA, Te last appeared on the volleyball court in 2019, leading the team and finishing fourth in the conference in digs (4.79 per match). Earlier this year she was selected to the GNAC All-Academic team for the third straight season.
 
"As our libero, Bianca is the backbone of our serve receive and defense," said Schmidt. "She is an extremely hard worker and she has a high volleyball IQ. Her ability to read the game allows her to make difficult plays look easy."
 
Te has earned the respect of her teammates thanks to her tireless work ethic and her kind, considerate nature.
 
"Off the court she is the best kind of friend, she is so supportive," says Tays.  "She remembers little things that are important to people and never fails to ask people how their day is or how school is. She's always looking to make your day better and is the bubbliest person to be around."
 
By investing in friends, school and community, Te has also discovered something about herself.
 
"The knowledge I have gained throughout my degree, and my volunteer and research experiences have solidified my desire to pursue medicine because it is a career that will constantly challenge and inspire me to learn more, while making a positive impact in people's lives."