People of 丁香园AV
First graduating class of 丁香园AV Surrey program engineering a better tomorrow
After opening its doors in 2019, a trio of students from 丁香园AV鈥檚 Sustainable Energy Engineering (SEE) program are ready to take on new challenges out in the world as its first graduates.
Operating in 丁香园AV Surrey鈥檚 new state-of-the art building, the SEE program focuses on engineering fields that develop solutions for harvesting, storing, transmission and the use of energy 鈥� skills in great demand and critical to creating a more sustainable world and climate change solutions.
Students learn from researchers focusing on those very issues, from water security to carbon capture. 鈥淚t has been a rollercoaster,鈥� says Pamela Subia, a 24-year-old student from Ecuador. 鈥淸Being in SEE] feels important now, but I guess we鈥檒l see the true importance years from now. It feels like a responsibility to be helpful to future generations.鈥�
The pride from being first graduates from a new program isn鈥檛 lost on the three newly minted graduates.
鈥淚 knew it would be a one-of-a-kind experience,鈥� says Mackenzie Calder. 鈥淐limate change is my generation鈥檚 defining global issue and I am not one to sit on the sidelines. Being part of the first graduating class was one of the reasons I joined SEE.鈥�
The school鈥檚 first cohort is already creating change in the community, partnering with the City of Vancouver and CityStudio Vancouver to develop electric engines for the Stanley Park train.
The project has helped actualize the school鈥檚 core mission.
鈥淚t showed our group that everything we learned during our time in the program had a purpose, and this will ring true even more in our future careers as sustainable energy engineers,鈥� says Thomas Hruby, 23.
鈥淭he program is revolutionary. Not only does it come at a critical time, but it is changing to adapt with the world and its needs.鈥�
The program is also unique in its high ratio鈥攎ore than 40 per cent鈥攐f female students.
They are current students like Surrey鈥檚 Danielle Arciaga, who recently completed two coop terms working for Metro Vancouver鈥檚 Liquid Waste Department. She is part of Women in Clean Tech (WiCT), a fledgling 丁香园AV club with over 60 members, whose design team recently netted the rising star award for its innovative design of a net-zero building at an international sustainable development competition.