"Dare to be braver today than yesterday, and do the same tomorrow."
Aliyah Ayorinde
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2022
- Program:
- Campus: Okanagan
I am proud and honored to have been an engineering student at UBC Okanagan for the past 4 years. During this chapter in my life I’ve learned so many interesting things about myself and the world, and leaning into the curiosity has led me to some amazing people and fascinating opportunities. I’ve been fortunate enough to work in a number of roles with the Student Experience Office, and I served as the POC Ambassador for the Pride Resource Centre as well. Wherever I find myself, my primary goals are to help build accessible and inclusive communities and to hopefully inspire others to live wholeheartedly. In my free time, you could probably find me dancing, studying sustainable fashion, or creating niche playlists, and I’ve also been putting my attention towards developing an accessible study platform for neurodiverse students.
Why did you choose to go into your field of study at UBC?
To be completely honest, I think it’s more accurate to say that I was pushed towards engineering than I chose it. Growing up, I was always strong in math and I developed an interest in physics as soon as I was old enough to understand what it is, so I heard that I should go into engineering from a lot of adults in my life.
I’d been interested in UBC though, for quite some time before decision day. I love BC’s beautiful landscapes and culture and have always wanted to study at a top institution; having studied at a relatively small high school, I decided that UBC Okanagan was the perfect fit! On the first day of classes (which I pretended I wasn’t extremely excited for), all of the professors were kind and welcoming, and the synergy of the engineering community inspired me to stay.
Tell us about your experience in your program. What have you learned that is most valuable?
I’ll address the elephant in the room; in engineering, women are rare, Black women are even rarer, and neurodivergent Black women are practically unheard of. I spent the better part of my degree wrestling with an intense feeling of imposter syndrome and questioning any recognition I received, much to the detriment of my mental health. With the help of an amazing friend, I came to really understand that I earned my place and that I deserve to take up space as much as anyone else. This inspired me to not only speak up for myself but to be more fearless in advocating for others with marginalized identities as well.
What are your future plans to make a difference in our world?
In the future, I hope to continue advocating for integrating diversity into various spaces and learning more about how to serve the community through empathy.
