11 Mar Volunteer Alumni in Profile: Karen Wong

Q. What was your involvement with Youth Central?
A. When I was in high school, I was a Youth Week volunteer, a ConocoPhillips Youth of Distinction Awards (YODA) committee member, and participated in the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) club at my school. Later, I worked part-time as a graphic designer for Youth Central.
 
Q. What did you learn from being a part of Youth Central?
A. I was pretty shy in high school, so it helped me get out of my shell a little bit, meeting new people, getting involved in more extracurricular activities, and being proactive.
 
Q. Favourite Experience?
A. I think my favourite experience at Youth Central was the first YODA ceremony that I attended. The committee members were all really fun to hang out with, and everyone was excited to see the awards given out to the youth who we personally selected. It was also fun to meet them and see some join the committee the following year.
 
Q. What have you been up to since Youth Central?
A. I graduated from the University of Calgary having studied Mechanical Engineering with a Biomedical Specialization. During that time, I jumped on study abroad opportunities to Greece and Hong Kong, catching an incurable travel bug. I also did an internship at PUMA in Germany, learning a lot about shoes, German language & culture, and traveling around Europe. Right now I’m working on a biomedical project for a startup company of sorts, and training for my first marathon.
 
Q. Future Goals?
A. I’m not entirely sure, usually I’ll say that’s Future Karen’s problem. On the career front, I’d like to find a way to exercise both my interests in engineering and design. Otherwise, in a general and vague sense: Challenging myself to keep learning new things and perfecting what I know.