"The quality and transferability of this program is integral for a more sustainable future."
What brought you to UPEI? Why did you choose to study here?
I've have had a long-standing interest in environmental sustainability and climate change adaptation, and an engineering degree felt like the natural starting point in being part of the greater solution to these global issues. UPEI had a relatively new full-degree program established while I was still in high school, which seemed to align with my personal values. I also have a very close relationship with my family. As I grew up on PEI, at the end of high school I did not feel quite ready to move too far from them. PEI in general has a very close-knit community, and I have found that UPEI has mirrored this in the small size of my program.
What do you find unique and interesting about your program?
What I have really appreciated about my program has been the inclusion of a project-based design course in each year of study—rather than a more traditional engineering degree’s sole capstone project in your final year of the degree. To outside ears, this may not seem like a determining factor in selecting a program, but I've found in conversations with folks in industry that UPEI engineering graduates have had four times the amount of team-oriented design experience than a graduate from other more traditional engineering programs.
Through a variety of opportunities, I have met other engineering students from across Canada as well as the rest of the world. None of their programs' home institutions offer this same project-oriented degree—which has caused me to realize that UPEI engineering graduates have a leg-up on other students internationally.
Additionally, “sustainable design engineering” is an incredibly unique discipline domestically. Other institutions tend to boast the quantity of varying disciplines they offer to prospective students; however, UPEI should not be overlooked as the quality and transferability of this program is integral for the development of a more sustainable future.
What kinds of support have you received during your time here from UPEI students, staff, and faculty members?
Given that I have been able to form a close connection with many of my professors, I feel that I am more comfortable to approach them to help me out in regard to being a professional reference on resumes, as well as writing letters of recommendation for scholarships and awards. As we have a relationship that extends beyond the classrooms, these recommendations have a more personal touch that have been very helpful in applications. Additionally, these professors are more apt to recommending me to further my leadership abilities when opportunities arise and better expand my professional network.
Going beyond the faculty, there is an amazing base of students here in the FSDE. As there is a strong “everyone knows everyone” nature to the program, I have found students are more apt to help each other out. Whether its advocating to get involved with student clubs and societies, or studying for an upcoming midterm, it truly feels like there is always someone looking out for you.
On the more official end, in my first year, the Engineering Success Centre was a beacon of academic hope when I was struggling in my classes during the isolation of the pandemic. The student associates employed there were always able to help me study for my problematic courses or set me up with additional resources for my success. Since my first year, I have been happily employed at the Engineering Success Centre for the past three years and been able to replicate this feeling in students who may feel a bit lost within their degree.
What kinds of opportunities have you experienced because you're studying at UPEI, or because of the Island location?
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to travel and work at the University of Waterloo with eight other students from across the globe to design a sustainable housing plan to adapt to London, Ontario. This was part of a global collaboration of students from Canada, Mexico, USA, and the UAE. We lived and worked at the University of Waterloo for 10 weeks and then finalized the experience by presenting our solution to members of staff and council of the City of London. I was able to chat with these fellow engineering students and came to the realization just how unique my program of study compared to these other international programs.
Due to this, I’ve also been able to work myself into more leadership opportunities on campus. For instance, due to my role on our Engineering Society and the ability to travel to regional conferences, I was given the opportunity to host a regional conference here at UPEI and welcome delegates from all across the Atlantic region to discuss the future of our engineering societies and goals for the collective as a whole.
Additionally, through my leadership position in the FSDE’s Engineering Success Centre, I have been able to coordinate additional professionalism programming for students during their time at UPEI and to enhance their job-hunting skills. By having the opportunity to co-coordinate the return of the FSDE Career Day and be given the platform to speak to local industry leaders, it has definitely given me an advantage in the search for a career post-graduation.
What's unique about UPEI, and Prince Edward Island, in your experience?
All in all, because of the intimate nature of the engineering program here at UPEI, there are so many opportunities for students who want to stand out from their peers in these roles to do so that I don’t feel is replicated at a larger university. Due to the small size of the program, you have a better chance of standing out against your peers and forming meaningful relationships with faculty members that can connect you to amazing opportunities. Its very much a “small pond, big fish” scenario, rather than the “big pond, and lots of fish” situation you’d find yourself in at a larger institution.
I feel UPEI is a compounded result of the close communities that are found on PEI in general, and it’s one of the reasons I chose to study here.
What would you tell a high school student considering your program?
Don’t second guess yourself! I find so many people are discouraged from studying engineering based on their struggles they may have in some of their high school courses. What is so special in engineering, and especially at the program at UPEI, is that there is a much larger focus on problem comprehension and solving. Math was not always my strong suite in high school, however, this is something that can be practiced and studied. Having that problem-solving mindset that so many engineers have cannot be taught; it really is an intuitive feeling.
What are your general plans after graduation?
Following graduation, I hope to work in industry here on PEI and potentially pursue a masters degree in business administration.
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