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I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I enrolled at the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ in the fall of 1976. Apart from my height (a gangly 6 footer), I was a wholly average 18 year old girl whose main interest was to make enough money waitressing to add to my vinyl collection, and maybe, one day, venture outside my suburban existence.

Imagine having to wade through a river up to your waist every day to get to school. Imagine having to walk an extra mile just to reach a safer crossing point. This was the reality for the residents of Rio Grande, a small village in Panama. This summer I had the incredible opportunity to help build a 47-m suspension footbridge for this rural community.

During the day you will find me as a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Quantum Software and Information, which is located at the University of Technology Sydney in sunny Sydney, Australia! By night, I am a husband and father of four of my own budding scientists. And when everyone is asleep, I work on my hobby of writing and illustrating children’s books.

I remember the exact moment I decided to leave the television industry, take the summer off, and go back to school to learn about the environment. It was 1998, and I’d been mulling it over for months, taking courses by correspondence or after work as an introduction to environmental studies. I was ready to stop working on films about other people doing things, and start doing things myself. A total change of career.

The year was 1997. I sat in the Blyth Festival theatre in anticipation of seeing my very first production of a Norm Foster play, The Melville Boys. I was in my last year of high school preparing to attend the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ Dramatic Arts program that coming fall. The house lights dimmed and I felt that familiar sense of excitement as I settled in to be entertained. From beginning to end I was swept up in Norm’s world of heartfelt comedy. Instantly, a Foster Fan was born.

Upon graduation from U��ݮ��Ƶ in 1977 with an Honours BSc in Co-operative Kinesiology, I had no idea of the incredible work experiences that awaited me over the next 40 years…wait…what!? 40 years…how did that happen? In the blink of an eye I’ve gone from starry eyed graduate to wizened workplace veteran, all the while owing a debt of gratitude to my time at ��ݮ��Ƶ.

November 28^th is Giving Tuesday, an international event which promotes the spirit of generosity. With the holidays just around the corner, countless sales have the malls buzzing with shoppers trying to get the best deal. After splurging on yourself and loved ones, consider creating a lasting impact by donating to the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ.

I graduated from the University of ��ݮ��Ƶ with my Honours Psychology Applied Studies Co-op with a Specialization in Human Resource Management in 2001. It was the “co-op” part that really revved me up and introduced me to the many possibilities within the world of work.

If you’ve ever used your smartphone to get directions to the nearest coffee shop, you’ve benefited from a technology known as GIS. GIS is a computer system that enables us to capture, manipulate, analyze, and visualize all kinds of geographical data.

Written by Yuna Chen (BSc '14)