How would you describe your time at UBC as an undergraduate student?

My time at UBC has been defined by the people. The diligent students who have been my peers; the kind, generous, encouraging friends who have been my support system; and the inspiring, humble faculty who have been my mentors. In particular, the faculty I have had the privilege to learn from and work with (e.g., Dr. Dunn, Dr. Evans, Dr. Enns, Dr. Handy, Dr. Hamlin, Dr. Cheung, Dr. Truong, and so many more) have coloured my time at UBC. I have experienced how patient they are from the hours they have spent answering my question, how generous they are from the many opportunities they’ve given me, and how brilliant they are from the research projects I’ve conducted with them. In short, my time at UBC was wonderful.

What moment was instrumental in shaping your academic career?

Conducting my third year honours thesis under the supervision of Dunigan Folk and Dr. Dunn was extremely instrumental in shaping my pursuit of an academic career. Prior to that project, I had confirmed my love for consuming research and had enjoyed my time working as a research assistant in various labs, but I had not yet been exposed to or involved in the research process form beginning to end. This thesis allowed me to confirm that I loved not only reading but also the entire process of producing research, which helped me solidify my aspirations of applying to graduate school.

Graduating can be an overwhelming experience. What about this next chapter of your life are you most excited about?

I’m excited to be starting graduate school in the fall! Pursuing an academic career is the reason I returned to UBC, so it’s incredibly surreal to be starting my Ph.D. in September. More specifically, I’m most excited about having advisors who will push me to think differently, support me to produce impactful work, and guide me towards a successful academic career. I am also looking forward to learning from the incredible graduate students in my program and having the opportunity to, hopefully, work with and mentor undergraduate students interested in research!

Does your future look how you thought it would look when you first came to UBC?

It's better!

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a personal learning, what would it be?

I know this sounds ridiculous, but one thing I’ve learned is that life is short, but it’s also long. What I mean is that life is certainly short, which makes our time here precious and invaluable. However, life is also long in the sense that we often have time to experiment and try different career paths and jobs. I’ve spoken with a few incredibly bright, kind, and inspiring students in their first or second year who come to me with sky high anxiety around not knowing what career they want to pursue. They’ll often say “I want to do X, but maybe I would also enjoy Y, what should I do?” And my answer is always, “Maybe you can try both.” There’s so much pressure to choose the perfect job immediately out of undergrad, but I think there can often be immense value in recognizing that there’s typically more than enough time in our lives to experiment with various careers to find what is most enjoyable and fulfilling. I pursued 3 career paths before discovering my fascination with research and human behavior. So, it often takes time, which is fine because we have the time to explore and dabble.

Having faced a global pandemic, social justice movements, and other possible adversities in your life etc. how do you think your learning was enhanced and/ or impacted?

It’s wild, looking back at it, half of my time as an undergraduate student was spent during the pandemic. As an international student, my learning was definitely impacted because I wasn’t able to be with my family during such a time. This added to the common experience of isolation that students felt with online university and the social distancing protocols. But by talking to other international students, I learnt that I wasn’t alone in how I felt. Sharing this helped my friends and I cope with that isolation by building a special sort of support system to get through the pandemic as we became each others’ familial support. Also, the social justice movements really helped lay out the harsh realities of the global world that we hadn't experienced before. It was a lot to deal with as a woman of colour, but it helped me realize the need to make psychology more accessible. There are so many impressive questions and findings that the field has investigated that could be so beneficial in addressing what’s happening in the world right now. But we have failed to do justice by these incredibly useful learnings, because we haven’t been able to share them enough or apply them yet.

Is there a particular class you took at UBC that changed your outlook on the world around you?

As an international student, I used to feel quite disconnected from the works that first introduced me to the world of psychological research. But in my second year I was took PSYC 307: Cultural Psychology which helped put everything into place as I learnt about cross-cultural psychology differences. The course helped me understand the diversity in human experiences that I needed to learn about in order to be able to appreciate my lived experiences, as it allowed me to connect with psychology in a unique manner. In fact, only after I took this class, did the field gain so much more personal relevance for me, and enhanced my passion for research. I would highly recommend this course for all psychology undergraduates.

How did you become involved in research and/or the larger psychology community?

I was interested in research since high school, but I only got involved in my second year of university. It took quite some time to make headway. I think I applied to over ten labs! It was really tough because of how competitive it can be, but with a lot of cold-emailing and follow-ups, I got my first break. I was, for sure, discouraged before my first research assistant position because getting into labs can sometimes require a lot of effort but once you do, and you like it, it’s easy to sustain your involvement within the community. After my first position, I started getting more involved with the psychology community as I explored my research interests through the honours program and other research related positions before settling on what I was passionate about.

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a personal learning, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to reach out to those in the psychology community. In my first year, I was really intimidated by how big the program is, especially since my cultural upbringing teaches that one must be independent in achieving success in their career and academics. I was so nervous to ask for help. But in my second year when I started getting more involved with the psychology student body, I realized how welcoming everyone is. Getting more involved with the community is primarily how I learnt how to navigate obstacles in my career and undergraduate degree, thanks to my peers and mentors who were always open to help. Which is why I would encourage incoming psychology undergrads to not hesitate to reach out because there’s such a great network to harness and so many resources out there that you might not ever discover without getting in touch with your peers.

How would you describe your time at UBC as an undergraduate student?

Over the four years, I have learned a lot about myself and my path for the future. I invested my time at UBC to learning how to learn in this new environment and how to be a leader and researcher. If there is one word to summarize my time it would be “formidable”. I took full course loads every term amid holding multiple jobs, tackling student loans and financial planning, and dealing with personal loss. But when I look back at it now, all I see is a hill I climbed as I now face the rest of my life. I can confidently say that I came to UBC as a teenager, and I leave now as mostly an adult. It took a lot of endurance and patience to get through all the challenges in these four years, which was achievable only with moments of happiness and joy. I found these glimmers of joy when I could help other students as a leader or get the result I had been working for from my research. It is all about the little moments.

What moment was instrumental in shaping your academic career?

The most important moment of my undergraduate degree was choosing to apply for the honours program. In my second year, I felt a lot of pressure to start figuring out my path as it felt like other students were actively getting involved. I heard about the Master of Management program that could be completed along my undergrad. Feeling unsure, I went to Dr. Cheung’s office hours and asked him for advice. He was incredibly kind to ask me questions about my goals and experiences and gave me the best advice I have ever been given. He told me to not do things because they sound good or for my resume since it will be difficult to commit to them or enjoy them. He suggested for me to consider the honours program as he thought it may be a better fit for my interests. Joining the honours program completely changed the trajectory of my academic career since my positive experience compelled me to consider graduate school as my next step.

How did you become involved in research and/or the larger psychology community?

In second year, I remember my classmates in Psychology 217 were talking about joining labs and how important it is to get involved fast. I remember feeling panicked because I thought that is not something to worry about for a while. I started looking for labs but there was not a lot of hiring in the middle of the term. I was suggested to look into the EDRG and developmental labs at UBC and one of my work supervisors was an RA in the Infant Studies Center and had said very good things about the lab. When I saw the hiring for RA positions for term two, I filled out my applications as soon as I could and asked my supervisor for advice about interviews, which was very helpful. I think the best way to get involved is to do it early and be persistent because it is competitive. Also, get help from more experienced students and there are other ways of getting involved as well. If you cannot find RA positions in psychology, try other faculties, learn how to best contact labs, or try directed studies. Also, remember that everyone’s lab and research experience is different so don’t be afraid to try something different.

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a personal learning, what would it be?

There are a lot of things I learned as an undergrad about myself, how to study, how to balance social and academic lives, and how to be a professional, tenacious adult. I took my time to learn, be very organized, be kind and patient with myself, and learn to get help when I need it whether personally or academically. Office hours are such an important resource to utilize that many students take for granted. TAs and professors are often very happy to help you, especially if you are struggling with class material or a personal problem is hindering your ability to keep up. But many students do not reach out and ask for help and that is the hardest and most important thing to do if you are struggling or are behind. Although, the most important advice I can give is that everyone’s experience is different. It is very helpful to get advice from senior students or your peers but everyone’s learning style is different, their lab and research experience is different, their goals and plans for the future are different, and their personal circumstances are different so keep in mind that there is great advice out there but you also have to find what works for you personally.

How did you become involved in research and/or the larger psychology community?

Prior to the summer before third year, I had little to no experience with hands-on psychology research, apart from taking PSYC 217 and 218. After being accepted into the honours program prior to third year, I quickly began reaching out to labs in the department, both to volunteer and to find an advisor for my third year Honours thesis. I ended up landing a volunteer research assistant position in the Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Program (ASAP) Lab with Dr. Kerns, while also conducting my third year Honours thesis in the Social Identity Lab with Dr. Schmader. My thesis that year focused on an experimental task that examined how men can be better allies to women in the workplace, which was super interesting. Meanwhile, my research in the ASAP Lab focused on gender diversity in autism. Moving into the summer of third year, I applied for and received the Quinn Research Fellowship, which allowed me to work full-time in the ASAP Lab. I got to help coordinate a project looking at anxiety presentations in autistic youth, while also beginning to develop my fourth year Honours Thesis, which I also conducted under the guidance of Dr. Kerns and her MA student Elise. My final thesis was a scoping review of research conducted on gender-diverse and autistic people, and this summer I hope to condense it into a paper that I can submit to the journal Autism.

What moment was instrumental in shaping your academic career?

A moment that really shaped my academic career was when I began learning about mutual aid and peer support in a number of my psychology and social justice classes. These are relational forms of assistance provided by and for community members that operate outside of the Western medical system, in order to help meet people’s material and emotional needs. Learning about peer support and mutual aid made me wonder how these concepts could be embedded into more traditional forms of psychological treatment such as dialectical behaviour therapy. Because of these interests, I plan to apply for grad school with a focus on incorporating peer support into traditional psychotherapies. Learning about peer support and mutual aid has transformed the way I think about community wellbeing, and it gives me a lot of hope for the future of our mental health systems.

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a personal learning, what would it be?

My main advice is directed towards people who think they would like to pursue a research-focused graduate degree after completing their psychology major: join a psychology lab as a research assistant as early in your degree as possible. Even more helpful would be to join multiple labs that span different domains of psychology, if it’s feasible for your schedule. The more exposure you get to different types of research, the more sure you’ll be about the directions you’d like to take when it comes to the end of your undergraduate degree. If you can’t afford to join a lab as a volunteer because you need to support yourself financially, look into the Work Learn program and the Quinn Fellowship Award. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to engage with both of these programs, which has allowed me to earn money while conducting research!

Graduating is a scary experience as you are stepping into the “adult” world. What about this next chapter of your life are you most excited about?

As a result of taking summer classes every year, in addition to full course loads during the winter and spring semesters, I’ve been in non-stop formal education since kindergarten. I guess I’m a bit anxious to start actually “adulting” and taking on all the responsibilities that come along with that. However, I’m really eager to start conducting non-coursework based research, where I’ll hopefully gain the freedom to explore the areas of research that I’m most interested in without any limitations or restrictions imposed by degree requirements. For example, this summer, I’m working with the Mental Health Systems and Services Lab in the psychiatry department to develop an e-mental health mobile app that provides free peer support to university students. I’m also very privileged to have the opportunity to continue working with my mentors at the Anxiety, Stress, and Autism Lab to turn my recently completed honours thesis into a journal submission. Beyond that, I’m excited to have the time to pursue my other hobbies, like competitive cheerleading and reading queer fiction.

What moment was instrumental in shaping your academic career?

Although I always had a keen interest in the brain, I had not decided on pursuing neuroscience until just before the start of my degree. Being diagnosed with meningitis and sepsis in my senior year of high school has definitely been a key moment that has shaped my academic pursuits. While being treated, one of my physicians mentioned that it was likely that none of the administered medications had worked and my body had most probably fought the illness on its own. This was the point that I knew I wanted to pursue my higher education studying the brain. I was driven by curiosity about what had happened to me and why it had happened since none of my physicians could provide me with a definitive answer. I wanted to learn the underpinnings of such diseases, sparking my interest in research as I knew I wanted to answer questions that had not been asked before.

How did you become involved in research and/or the larger psychology community?

I always knew I wanted to get involved in research during the early years of my degree. My first and second year psychology and neuroscience courses introduced my to the various sub-disciplines of research in the field. Taking that knowledge and combining it with my passions allowed me to determine what type of projects I would like to work on. I would look into research labs and reach out to graduate students and professors conducting research in the areas I found interesting. I also attended several talks and events that encouraged young undergraduate students to communicate and learn from professors and researchers on campus. Being persistent and following up with those you want to communicate with and learn from is very important and played a big role in demonstrating my eagerness to get involved.

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a persona learning, what would it be?

If I could give one piece of advice, it would be to be persistent and gain experience in the areas of your interest. Your undergraduate years are the perfect time to dabble in various academic and professional pursuits. This will allow you to pick the field that fits you the best. Experiment with classes, attend various seminars and do not hesitate to engage in multiple areas of interest. It is also essential to be persistent and follow through with something that is important to you. If things do not go as planned, figure out what can be done better and keep pushing forward.

What does ‘psychology’ mean to you, and how has it translated into what you do?

Psychology is about developing an analytic process -- a systematic way of evaluating behaviour. Learning to break it down into a stepwise process and build new models that might be effective in helping us understand us. We all have intuitions about the way the world works. When I start a project, I am mindful that I am drawing on my background, my past experiences, and assumptions. I try as much as possible to learn from others. And when I can, synthesize our approaches to try and understand: how do they complement each other? Recently, I was invited to work on a project at the at Vancouver General Hospital with a professor of physical therapy and a professional engineer. We are developing a rehabilitation tool for patients suffering from tendinopathy. My role is to help test the device and ask questions like: Has participant boredom affected the data? How can we cue participants to increase effort? Where might we be introducing bias or error?

How would you describe your time at UBC as an undergraduate student?

An absolute whirlwind of experiences. Throughout my five years, I took courses in 15 different subjects, played a competitive sport, and worked with some incredibly smart and dedicated people. Most importantly, I made some truly great friends.

What moment was instrumental in shaping your academic career?

Covid. In hindsight, the pandemic was a big springboard for me. When track meets were cancelled, my focus moved towards academics. I was researching pandemic-related questions on social isolation and depression. I got my hands on some data obtained right at the start of the outbreak which served as a crucial time point. For the first time, it felt like I was at the forefront of something.

If you could provide incoming psychology undergraduates with one piece of advice or a personal learning, what would it be?

At UBC, you are amongst the best and brightest. Surround yourself with the people that help you grow as a student and as a person.

If you could go back in time to your first-year self, what would you tell them to do differently?

Stop scrolling on your phone.