"Engineering isn’t a solo endeavour, and even if that were possible, it wouldn’t be as fun."
Serena Chao
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2020
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
My degree began as a melting pot of my original interests in writing, teaching and event planning, all of which I was able to leverage and build upon as I worked towards a career in project management and, most recently, strategy consulting in Berlin. Studying electrical engineering was my gateway into grasping the fundamentals of emerging technologies, a common thread in my experiences from working on the Amazon Alexa app for BMO Financial Group to working on Gadgeteer, a physics-based VR/AR game.
Alongside my academic terms, I directed the UBC Engineering Competition twice, coordinated a VR project with the School of Music through the UBC Emerging Media Lab and supported hackathons with nwPlus. One of the highlights from my four years of working at Geering Up UBC in Engineering Outreach was starting a regular event series, Let's Talk Tech, to introduce elementary and secondary school students to emerging technologies and their vast industry applications. When the weather was right, I spent my weekends hiking, snowboarding or exploring what the West Coast has to offer.
UBC Emerging Media Lab nwPlus Gadgeteer
What has made your time at UBC memorable?
The friends I have met through each step of the way made me feel connected to the UBC community and turned Vancouver into my second home. My most memorable campus involvements definitely correlate to the strongest bonds I’ve carried to the end of my degree and hopefully beyond. In fourth year, my capstone project was such a highlight. My team and I delivered an Excel program for BC Hydro that engineers could incorporate into their day-to-day workflow to optimize the placement of shield wires for transmission towers. It was fulfilling to work with a cohesive team and receive second place in the capstone video competition at Design and Innovation Day.
Tell us about your experience in your program. What have you learned that is most valuable?
Electrical engineering is not to be underestimated but can be absolutely manageable with the right resources and support. Chatting with my peers was the best way to figure out how to balance the workload across our core courses and to ultimately succeed as a collective. As any student will likely tell you, engineering as a degree teaches you a lot about project management. From allocating the right amount of time to an assignment to managing a team, I found that these skills are best learned by doing and are not only essential to our careers but also to our personal lives.
One thing I didn’t expect in my degree was the ability to find opportunities to write.
In my fourth year, my technical electives often had reports and essays as part of the grading scheme which I discovered was one of the most conducive methods to my learning. Research and technical writing became one of my strengths and helped me learn about the type of work that I would like to do more of in the future.
What advice would you give a student entering your degree program?
Be authentic.
There will be moments where you’ll be eager to say yes to things because they’re shiny and new but also where you’ll be scared to take the next step for fear of failure and that’s okay!
I would try to embrace any opportunity that feels like it could contribute to your long-term goals. Everyone’s university experience is unique academically, socially and personally but you can make sure that you are actively driving it to meet your own expectations for the next few years.
Also, understanding why you are taking any course, even core courses, is important to see how it fits into your degree and what you should aim to take away from it. If I could go back, I would sit next to someone new in every class, like I did in first year. For one, it would be easier to clarify notes but also making friends in classes is a key way to build community. Engineering isn’t a solo endeavour, and even if that were possible, it wouldn’t be as fun.
Where do you find your inspiration?
My constant sources of inspiration were my peers at UBC.
Whenever I saw someone do something awesome on campus, I would often think about how I could find a similar opportunity. This translated into applying for countless opportunities so I could continue to surround myself with different people that always had something new to share. Since I knew that I am most energetic when surrounded by passionate people, immersing myself in different UBC groups each year became a rewarding cycle of finding new opportunities, friends and inspiration.
What are your future plans to make a difference in our world?
The plan is to contribute to the discourse around our evolving relationships with technology. Whether that’s through writing, community engagement, my career or all of the above, I’m curious about how expansive research and development from today will intertwine and how it can be shaped to form tomorrow’s ideals. At its simplest, I hope to bring a positive lens into the way we view the world as an interdependent system of cohesion rather than chaos.
