Finding positivity in first year engineering

“Something that’s always drawn me to engineering is the idea of building solutions that drive positive impact.” 

Evin Li

Evin Li

  • Degree: Bachelor of Applied Science
  • Campus: Vancouver

Despite only being in her first year of university, Evin is already well-immersed in the UBC Engineering community. Not letting the barriers of a remote school yet stop her quick to find ways to collaborate and grow friendships and experiences outside her lectures.

 

Image
Evin and her WiE family
Evin and her UBC Women in Engineering (WiE) family

Due to the pandemic outbreak in 2020, many first-year students joining UBC in September 2020 may have found their transitions to university a lot different than how they expected. However, by getting involved in the community, Evin was still able to live out her student life. “Though everything’s been online, the friends I’ve made through my program and clubs/teams have been nothing short of amazing.” Evin states. “Since the beginning of this semester, I’ve had the opportunity to work with UBC BEST’s ENABLE subteam and to see concepts taught in lectures come to life in projects.” 

 
Evin has also dedicated her time to sharing her love of engineering and building communities. From being involved with Millennium STEM, an organization that strives to empower high school students in STEM, to being elected as VP Education and Outreach at UBC Women in Engineering (WiE), these groups allow Evin to find like-minded individuals to work and bond with.  

 

Image
Evin and the WiE Mentorship Program
Evin with other mentors and mentees during a WiE Mentorship Program event.

For incoming students wondering about finding their place in UBC engineering, Evin’s experience shows that no matter the circumstances, there a space fit for everyone. If she were to sum up her first year at UBC, Evin shares that: “Whether it’s bonding through shared experiences of 16-hour days, cheering each other on through exam season, or planning the nitty-gritty details of an event, there’s never been a dull moment with the community here at UBC engineering!” 

Campus involvements:

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 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.