I’ve worked with UBC Arts Co-op as a Co-op Coordinator/Manager of Job Development for the past 7 months after working in the program for 3 years as the Program Assistant. As a recent UBC alumnus with a BA in International Relations, I was fortunate to participate in Co-op while in my undergrad program. I am still laying the foundations for my early career as my first job after graduation was already in the field of Co-operative Education. During my undergraduate years, I developed experience in student affairs with volunteer, co-op, and part-time jobs.
What I like most about my job is that I enjoy the satisfaction of having a direct, sometimes significant, positive influence on a student’s career, which can easily be one of the biggest aspects of their lives moving forward.
I grew up in Coquitlam but spent my high school years in Hong Kong. I therefore have an ongoing cultural identity crisis, though it’s been mostly alleviated now that I’ve called Vancouver home for most of the past decade!
One of the best things about being an ACE member is sharing best practices with co-op colleagues from other institutions.
Something surprising about me is that I like to go on travel adventures to barren, desolate landscapes. For example, camping throughout Death Valley in Eastern California. Also looking forward to an upcoming trip to the Atacama Desert in Chile! Other than travel adventures I enjoy hiking in the summer, badminton, movies and TV – plus reading memoirs/biographies.
The best career advice for me has been two of my favourite quotes:
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in the future.” – Steve Jobs
“If you don’t know where you are going, any road will get you there.” – Lewis Carroll