From competitive sports to performance engineered garments

"Make time for friends, movement, and 'me-time' " 

Sarah smiling while holding her dog, standing in front of trees and mountains
Hike in Seymour with Chili, my dog

Sara Bortolussi-Courval

During my time in UBC Engineering, I initially gained experience from UBC Best's Design team as a Mechanical Engineer. Last year, I won the Third Place Prize at the National Medtech Hackathon, a post-graduate competition where I participated as one of only two undergraduate students. I interned at Stoko Design, a technical apparel company, and at The Center for Hip Health and Mobility, where I became the second author of a biomedical research paper. I also recently landed a Go-to-Market summer position at a company I've admired for years, Lululemon. Lastly, and arguably most meaningfully to me, I became a part-time spin instructor which has pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowed me to learn a ton about myself, and meet incredible, like-minded people.

UBC Best Stoko Design Lululemon

How did you decide your current UBC Engineering discipline, or why did you choose UBC Engineering?

Transferring from a Quebec Cégep directly into an out-of-province second-year Engineering program was a big step for me. I initially chose Integrated Engineering to allow myself to glimpse all of the engineering disciplines that existed which were unknown to me as a transfer student. 

IGEN has allowed me to tailor my degree precisely to the field I want to work in, technical athletic apparel, which combines biomedical, mechanical, and material expertise. 

Integrated Engineering's entrepreneurial focus has also led me to pursue a minor in Commerce, to hopefully pivot my career toward technical apparel management and operations.

Integrated Engineering

UBC Engineering named one of Canada's best engineering programs banner

What has made your time at UBC Engineering memorable?

Winning the Third Place Prize at Medtech's National Post-Graduate Hackathon has been the academic highlight of my time at UBC. 

Pushing myself out of my comfort zone allowed me to develop self-confidence in my engineering abilities. Like many women in the field, I sometimes struggle with imposter syndrome and feel like I'm not smart enough to be doing the work that I do. Challenging myself, working hard, and then succeeding at something I never expected gave me a much-needed boost of self-confidence, which I have tried my best to carry with me throughout my engineering degree.

Tell us about your experience in your program. What have you learned that is most valuable?

The most helpful skill that I have learned is to be curious. 

Even if it isn't your favorite class, pretend to be curious. Convincing yourself that you're interested tricks your brain into listening more attentively, which helps your grades, and more importantly, your understanding of the subject.

What is one piece of advice you would share to a student entering UBC Engineering?

Making time to hang out with friends is so important. Taking small actions to maintain your physical and mental health is SO important. Choose a program where you know you will be able to make time for your needs and make them a priority right at the start.

Build a well-balanced life as a UBC Engineering student

Many of today’s jobs did not exist 10 years ago, and we do not know for certain what the workforce will look like 10 years from now. How do you see the remainder of your studies in the Faculty of Applied Science preparing you for the future of work?

Truly understanding engineering concepts rather than specific examples can take more time, but it allows you to apply your knowledge to an infinite number of problems. 

The Faculty of Applied Science is prepping me for the future of work by improving my problem-solving skills and increasing the number of tools I have at my disposal to solve any problem that comes my way.

A UBC integrated engineering student describing her capstone project named iGrow.

Integrated Engineering

Integrated Engineering graduates excel in diverse fields of engineering including construction, product/project management, manufacturing, advanced technology development and resource industries.

Integrated Engineering

Discover Student Experiences

UBC Applied Science students are people who are passionate about their chosen field — architecture, landscape architecture, community and regional planning, engineering and nursing — and those that inspire others by making meaningful contributions to the betterment of society.

Browse Student and Alumni Spotlights

UBC is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm people (Musqueam; which means 'People of the River Grass') and Syilx Okanagan Nation. The land has always been a place of learning for the Musqueam and Syilx peoples, who for millennia have passed on their culture, history and traditions from one generation to the next.

UBC Crest The official logo of the University of British Columbia. Arrow An arrow indicating direction. Arrow in Circle An arrow indicating direction. Caret An arrowhead indicating direction. E-commerce Cart A shopping cart. Time A clock. Chats Two speech clouds. Facebook The logo for the Facebook social media service. Social Media The globe is the default icon for a social media platform. TikTok The logo for the TikTok social media platform. Calendar Location Home A house in silhouette. Information The letter 'i' in a circle. Instagram The logo for the Instagram social media service. Linkedin The logo for the LinkedIn social media service. Location Pin A map location pin. Mail An envelope. Telephone An antique telephone. Play A media play button. Search A magnifying glass. Arrow indicating share action A directional arrow. Speech Bubble A speech bubble. Star An outline of a star. Twitter The logo for the Twitter social media service. Urgent Message An exclamation mark in a speech bubble. User A silhouette of a person. Vimeo The logo for the Vimeo video sharing service. Youtube The logo for the YouTube video sharing service. Future of work A logo for the Future of Work category. Inclusive leadership A logo for the Inclusive leadership category. Planetary health A logo for the Planetary health category. Solutions for people A logo for the Solutions for people category. Thriving cities A logo for the Thriving cities category. University for future A logo for the University for future category.