Brooke Franchuk didn’t grow up obsessed with Lego or planning to be an engineer. But her experiences at UBC—including discovering an aptitude for mechanical engineering and pursuing co‑op roles that sparked her interest in product design and biomedical technology—set her on the path to her current role at Garmin, where she’s part of an interdisciplinary team shaping the next generation of wearable health technology.
Brooke Franchuk
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2018
- Program:
- Campus: Okanagan
What kind of work do you do?
I am a senior mechanical engineer at Garmin, working on the biosensor platform technology team. I help lead the mechanical design of wearable biometric sensor platforms – the parts of our devices that measure things like heart rate, pulse ox, ECG, temperature and other biometric data.
What are the most rewarding parts of your job?
It’s incredibly rewarding to create products that have a meaningful impact on people’s everyday lives. I like being part of the development of devices that people rely on and trust to perform accurately and consistently.
There’s also the satisfaction that comes from working on products I use myself – I was a Garmin user well before I started working here. It gives me a deeper connection to the work and a first-hand appreciation for the importance of quality, durability and user experience.
I also get a lot of energy from working in an innovative area where you are always learning. In product design, you’re constantly trying to come up with the next great thing to stay ahead of your competitors. With research and development, iterative prototyping and cross-disciplinary collaboration, there’s no shortage of learning in my role.
Tell us about your path after graduating.
I’ve always had a strong interest in the medical field, and at several points even considered becoming a doctor. Over the last years of my degree, I realized medicine was not the right fit for me, but I also realized I could make an impact on human health by applying my engineering skills in the biomedical space.
After graduating, I joined Tangent Design Engineering, a consulting company where I worked for more than five years as a mechanical design engineer and gained exposure to many different projects and industries. Over time, I noticed that I was gravitating towards hands-on product design – especially projects with true technical challenges and a human element. That ultimately led me to Garmin, where I’ve been working for the past two-and-a-half years.
What led you to mechanical engineering?
I was never the kid who played with Lego or took apart remotes. But the mechanical engineering courses I did in my first two years came naturally to me and I liked how tangible it is compared to the other disciplines. I was also drawn to the versatility of mechanical engineering and knew it would open doors to a wide range of industries, including medical technology, which I was already interested in.
Did your engineering education change how you think and prepare you for your career?
Engineering teaches you how to think critically and look at problems in a structured way, rather than just memorizing a formula or learning how to solve a specific kind of question you might face on an exam. I learned how to break down complex problems, identify what I need to learn and find practical paths to solutions. That mindset has been valuable in every role I’ve had.
My technical foundation from UBC was important but equally important are the professional skills I gained in communication, teamwork and documentation.
When you are part of a team, your technical skills will only get you so far. You need to be able to communicate ideas and work with others to come up with innovative solutions and move projects forward.
