As UBC Engineering graduates, life has taken us in many directions, but one thing remains unchanged—the friendships we built during our years in CHBE. In between rain (and even hail) storms, UBC Alumni generously funded a dinner for me and three of my closest friends from university: Christine, Steph, and Anyssa. It was a rare and cherished opportunity for us to reconnect, reminisce, and celebrate how far we’ve come since our graduation in 2017.
Since leaving UBC, we’ve each carved out unique paths using our degrees (or not haha). Steph has built a career in water management, tackling municipal challenges and soon jet setting to Calgary and Quebec for learning opportunities. Anyssa works in power systems, helping bring more sustainable energy for industrial projects. Christine thrives in manufacturing and sales engineering, using her technological knowledge to empower projects which impact everyday products. As for me, I took the entrepreneurial route, launching Large Tutoring to help students reach their largest potential.
Even though our careers are different, and you won't catch me on the slopes nearly as often as Steph (she's a pro), you wouldn't have thought any time had passed. We went to Leopold’s, a fast-growing Canadian restaurant that none of us had tried before. It's a fun place - vibrant, with really good deep-fried pickles and mac & cheese bites. We've all been so lucky to take some fantastic trips lately; from Whistler and Victoria to Vegas, Mexico, Taiwan, and Bali.
We're so grateful for our time at UBC, but gosh are we happy that we get free time again to travel and have fun alongside working hard. One unexpected and heartwarming highlight of the night was receiving our wedding invitations. It was a special moment that added to the nostalgia, reminding us just how far we’ve come together. From undergrads navigating coursework to industry professionals supporting each other’s milestones, our friendship has stood the test of time.
As we wrapped up the evening, we couldn’t help but feel grateful—not just for the meal, but for the friendships that UBC made possible. Life gets busy, and opportunities to gather like this don’t come often, but nights like this remind us why staying connected matters. A huge thank you to UBC Alumni for making this evening possible. Here’s to more reunions, new adventures, and the friendships that started in the halls of UBC Engineering! And don't forget to CHBElieve in yourself!
Submitted by Clinton Large, BASc '17
