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Victoria's reputation - high quality, beautiful campus
University of Victoria
Shiny is as happy as her name suggests.
A good, well-rounded student in China, Shiny says she could predict the kinds of jobs she'd get in the future. Wanting to break out of that pattern, she chose instead to study abroad, knowing that by moving to a new country she would get to start from scratch.
She decided to go to Canada after hearing a well-respected Chinese lecturer talk about her experiences in Canada and the USA. The lecturer said she'd found Canada to be much more welcoming of ethnic difference, and Shiny's had a great affection for Canada ever since.
She chose UVic for its reputation for quality undergraduate education, great classes and programs, and its fantastic environment. She loved the beautiful beaches, the trees on campus, and the university's proximity to Vancouver, British Columbia.
When it comes to taking advantage of everything a university has to offer, Shiny is an absolute role model. In the beginning she was shy about her English, but she jumped into extra curricular activities anyway knowing that was the way to improve her language skills. She joined organisations like the Student Alumni Association and New Student Orientation, campus clubs like the Japanese Club and the Badminton Club, and the International Friendship Group. She even joined the Buddy Program to help other international students adjust to their new home.
Once immigration rules changed and Shiny could work off campus, she got involved in city-based projects like the Victoria Ska Festival and the BMX World Championships. She also acted as the volunteer coordinator for the Dragonboat Festival for two years.
While involved in all these clubs and projects, she has continued to work part time for the Student Transition Centre. She says it has been the best place to work for, and that her supervisors and coworkers have helped her grow.
To top it all off, Shiny is almost a straight A+ student! She dedicates hours to revising the papers she writes in English and is now applying for graduate school in Canada, though as a UVic student with excellent marks she could go anywhere in the world. She says that she wants to continue to focus on economics while studying her Masters, and that the world's recent financial trouble has only made her more interested in the subject.
When she's finished her Bachelor's degree she hopes to spend the summer volunteering in Africa. Wherever her UVic degree will take her, the people around her will surely benefit from her smile, energy, and intelligence!
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