I am fortunate to be surrounded by many Made by McGill stories in my family. My father arrived at McGill from India in 1968 to pursue graduate studies in Engineering. His education afforded him the necessary critical thinking skills that would form the foundation for his career. He also often lauded the warm and welcoming community at the university. His experience in combination with wanting a reputed university were influential factors in my decision to pursue my own studies at McGill. At the time of my application, we already had seven McGill graduates in the family (and now we have 11 and counting!).
I always loved the international vibe of McGill. We met students from all over the world. They in turn brought their own individual opinions, thoughts, and global perspective to the classroom. I remember meeting a few students who were the first in their families to attend university. From my conversations with them, I took away the importance for us to be understanding of each other before being judgemental or critical. We often don’t know someone else’s back story. It was a valuable piece of my experience at the university.
I remember in one of my introductory Computer Science classes at McGill, we were tasked with sending an email. For most of us, it was our very first one. It was one of those revolutionary moments where we knew we were on the brink of change.”
During my Computer Science studies, we dealt with a heavy course load, really challenging material, copious deadlines, and we had professors with high expectations. While I will always be appreciative of my undergraduate studies, there were other academic experiences I took away that continue to resonate with me until this day. It was during these years that I learned what hard work really meant, especially when I was trying to navigate courses with intrinsically difficult concepts. I also learned to think through problems in a non-linear fashion. Even now, if I am navigating something challenging, I will sort of step back, turn the problem “on its head’ and look at it from different angles before I dive in. When I look back, I feel so grateful for my McGill education and now living outside of Canada, I have realized the need for every child to have access to an affordable, equitable education.
I’m a city girl at heart! While I was raised in Montreal, experiencing it as a university student added a totally different perspective. I loved the fact that we could just walk straight off campus onto city streets and just continue walking and exploring, and that we had easy access to public transport. I loved hearing different languages being spoken in the streets, and it was so enjoyable discovering obscure little restaurants and music clubs.
As a teenager, I gravitated towards the sciences but I have always had diverse interests. At the time, I wasn’t quite sure how to navigate these interests in order to choose one particular area of study. What I did know is that I wanted to work for my father’s company. It was actually his recommendation that I pursue Computer Science since he felt it was a degree that could open doors even if I wanted to eventually make a slight shift in my career direction.
It is helpful to have a mentor to help guide, focus, and create connections. I was lucky to have my father as my mentor and he still mentors me to this day.”
I remember in one of my introductory Computer Science classes at McGill, we were tasked with sending an email. For most of us, it was our very first one. It was one of those revolutionary moments where we knew we were on the brink of change. That is Computer Science – dynamic and shifting. My advice to those pursuing a similar career path is to keep on learning, to learn French, to take advantage of the amazing network that McGill provides graduates, and one skill I wish I mastered even earlier – learning some really great time management skills! While it can be impossible to thank each and every teacher, guide and mentor along the way, I also urge them to one day parlay that appreciation into a profound, positive impact.
Navigating a changing world landscape while trying to pave the way for a future career can be overwhelming. It is helpful to have a mentor to help guide, focus, and create connections. I was lucky to have my father as my mentor and he still mentors me to this day. Not only did he have my best interests at heart but he could help guide my career while helping me to navigate life decisions. Many times, he is (affectionately) critical of some of my entrepreneurial ideas, but I was Made by McGill to keep enduring!