"Say yes and try as many things as you can at university, you never know what you might like!"
Mark Greenwood
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Applied Science
- Grad year: 2022
- Program:
- Campus: Vancouver
IGEN students choose electives, forming a major and a minor in two engineering disciplines; I chose Mechanical and Computer Engineering, respectively. Through my degree, I was fortunate to have broad work, design team, and volunteer experiences!
During my time at UBC I was involved with UBCRocket’s engine propulsion team and served on student government as Integrated Engineering’s shop manager and co-president. I was also IGEN’s 3D printing manager, an undergraduate research assistant at UBC’s Pulp and Paper Center, an engineering support services coordinator at Ledcor, and an estimator/project coordinator at Regehr Contracting. I will be returning to Regehr as an estimator/project manager later this year.
Outside of academics, I enjoy living in North Vancouver where I hike, swim and ski on the weekend (depending on the season). Year-round I like wood turning, working on cars, 4x4ing, and experiencing local breweries.
UBCRocket Ledcor Regehr Contracting
What has made your time at UBC memorable?
For me, the most memorable part of UBC was the people.
Whether it’s on a design team or in the IGEN clubroom, the engineering community consistently impresses and surprises me—and not just in the classroom. Going to the IGEN clubroom was often a surefire way to ensure that none of my homework got done that day. Whether shooting the breeze or helping someone with their project, I struggle to think of a better way to have spent countless hours of my degree. Meeting new people or bumping into someone and then losing track of hours was always a highlight of my day.
What advice would you give a student entering your degree program?
In the earlier years of my degree I wish I had said “yes” and taken risks more often, rather than fretting about classes.
You can almost always spend more time on schoolwork, but after a course is over there are often few opportunities to go further with them. Meeting peers, attending networking events, and generally just putting yourself out there (even if it makes you a tad uncomfortable) is an underappreciated aspect of university. Many of your peers will go on to amazing things, so take the time to get to know them socially, not just academically. The friendships you build now can—and will, if you foster them—last for the rest of your life.
