Please share the highlights and challenges of your SFU journey. 

I started out in Linguistics, where I became enamored with the way that researchers approach the study of language: something with so much data, yet so abstract in many ways. A pivotal moment was definitely when I was invited into LING 806, a graduate seminar in World Englishes with Dr. Hilgendorf; I got to witness the most fascinating discussions with really incredible people and wrote my first giant research paper, which got me even more excited about research. 

In 2021, I became an RA in the Corpus Pragmatics and Prosody Lab, and then the Hul'q'mi'num' Pronunciation Lab, where I learned how a project is created from the ground up! The next year, I declared the Joint Major with Computing Science and focused on gaining the technical skills to build scalable infrastructure around research in any domain. In 2024, I became an RA in the Language & Brain Lab as well as the Rosie Lab in the Department of Computing Science, which were eye-opening experiences in cross-disciplinary exploration. During that time, I was also taking courses and holding several volunteering positions, including being the Vice President of the Linguistics Student Union; I had to really up my time management skills, which was a really good growth moment.

In 2025, I did a product management co-op at LMI Technologies, where I collaborated across several teams to advance our projects for customers and internal use. Finally, I wrapped up my degree with a focus on unpacking important questions about data-centric systems and AI, which felt like the perfect way to finish off my Joint Major in Computing Science and Linguistics.

What drives you and keeps you motivated? 

In my everyday life, I constantly feel excited to expand my horizons and challenge the way that I approach puzzles and problems, so that I don't become complacent or stagnant, especially after having graduated. I've always been very curious, and much of that can be credited to my mom, who is the epitome of a lifelong learner! I also have a little bit of a competitive spirit, so the harder the course, the more I want to devote my effort to it. That's why I loved courses like LING 806, the graduate seminar in World Englishes, and CMPT 295, a notoriously challenging yet interesting introduction to computer systems. 

Please tell us about your current focus for career and research. 

I recently started a job in fintech, so I'm really excited about gaining experience in that domain. I definitely won't forget about research, so I'll be checking in on papers and conferences in linguistics and computing science.

I'm so grateful to all of the Linguistics and Computing Science faculty and staff for rooting for me throughout my courses and making me fall in love with the field; the graduate students at the Linguistics Department Writing Centre for guiding me in how to think and communicate; my countless amazing classmates, fellow volunteers, and teammates for being awesome peers; and all of my mentors in the Linguistics and Computing Science research projects that helped me grow as a research assistant. To my family and friends (especially gym buddies) who helped keep me sane, thank you so much! 

Do you have any advice for undergraduate students?

To current students, I highly recommend getting involved in research, volunteering, clubs, and other campus opportunities! Having not done very many extracurriculars in high school, I started relatively small, just applying to short-term volunteering gigs and working on my grades to eventually work my way up to bigger opportunities. It felt intimidating at first, and often still did from time to time, but I really grew a lot.