My name is Gareth Yuen, and I’m currently a permanent resident of Canada. My family and I moved to Canada from Hong Kong nearly four years ago in search of a better life, and we decided to start in Montreal, Quebec. However, being in a foreign land without knowing the dominant language is incredibly challenging because we do not know what or how to order in a restaurant and converse appropriately in French. Subsequently, we moved to Vancouver after a year of freezing climate and delicious French cuisine. I was sent to Vancouver early to start attending Capilano University, where I received precious peer mentorship and volunteering experience in addition to academic guidance. I hosted study groups for my Japanese classes, previewing and reviewing class materials every week while maintaining a good relationship and dynamic with all participants. I also became a Capilano’s chat cafe peer mentor, where I got to converse with international students and help accordingly with their English proficiency. Capilano University is also where I made my first group of friends in Vancouver, friends who supported me through my journey at Capilano University and gave me tremendous confidence to transfer to my goal university—The University of British Columbia, one of the leading universities in Canada for the talented.
Now, I am a third-year student at UBC majoring in English literature with a minor in philosophy. As an English Major, I have learned how to do close readings, write summaries, critical responses, books, and passage analyses, and write academically. As a philosophy minor, I have learned how to enhance my critical thinking skills and logic, interpret academic articles, and write arguments against or support ideals derived from historical and philosophical figures. Moreover, I also enrolled in a technical writing class, where I learned about writing professionally. As I believe learning how to write proper memos and emails is crucial to any professional office job, where anyone could be tasked to send an email or memo upon request. Furthermore, if the job requires it, I can also write formal reports, draft proposals, and conduct a peer review with practical feedback. Thus, with all my language capabilities and style variations, I can excel professionally and confidently in any workplace.