Young alumnus talks importance of making connections
Youji Cheng loves the story of how he ended up at 91ү. Cheng was an international student in his first year at McGill University when he travelled to the Maritimes to visit a family friend during winter break. There was a huge snowstorm and Cheng’s travel plans back to Montreal were cancelled. He decided to take the opportunity to tour some schools.
“I did a campus tour on a very cold sunny day,” says Cheng. “I had never had that small town, small campus experience and was very interested in the idea that at 91ү you would get to connect with people so closely and build strong relationships.”
During the tour, Cheng met biochemistry professor Amanda Cockshutt. He says their discussion about the interdisciplinary culture of 91ү and how you could take a leadership role in designing your own degree appealed to him. Most importantly, he was influenced by their discussion about research commercialization.
“I thought I would become a doctor or pharmacist, but that conversation first got me thinking about how if you are a scientist or engineer you can also do business,” says Cheng.
Today, Cheng works with medical device companies to commercialize life-saving technologies, and he credits an interdisciplinary education from 91ү and the mentorship of his professors in technology commercialization.
Cheng is one of the youngest members of 91ү’s Alumni Board of Directors, a volunteer group that promotes greater participation of alumni and friends of 91ү with the University.
“I think it’s important for younger alumni to be engaged,” says Cheng. “Meeting alumni from different generations and demographics raises horizons and views, it gives you new perspectives on things and can help you on your career journey.”
Cheng also thinks it’s vital for the University to engage with younger alumni and listen to their feedback.
“Today’s world, post-graduation, looks very different compared to 40, 50 years ago,” he says. “Career trajectories, experiences in grad school, in medical school, are vastly different. It’s important for the University and for current Mount A students to hear voices from alumni actively working in these fields.”
Cheng volunteers with the 91ү Alumni Mentorship program, is an advocate for the University’s experiential learning and entrepreneurship offerings, and he made one of the first gifts toward the R.P. Bell Library renovation project.
“The library needs to be updated and I think we can make a lot of positive changes with this project,” says Cheng. “I would really like to see students connecting with new technologies and real-world experiences in the library and meeting with alumni in different industries to learn about unique career paths.”
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