Ashley Jang

About

	Undergraduate Student
Degree	Bachelor of Science in Applied Biology
Major	Applied Animal Biology
Hometown	Vancouver, BC, Canada

Ashley’s love for sustainability and animal anatomy and physiology led her to pursue a degree in the Applied Biology program. During her time at UBC, she has participated in various LFS events including Wednesday Night Dinner and Imagine Day as a Senior Orientation leader, where she was able to connect with her peers and find a strong sense of community. In the future, she is looking forward to a career in health care where she can apply all the knowledge and skills, she learned during her time at UBC.

Ashley can't wait to meet prospective students in her role as an LFS Student Recruitment Coordinator - find out how to connect with Ashley and her outreach team here.

What are three adjectives that describe you?

Reliable, Friendly, Calm

What advice would you give to a high school student considering your program?

A piece of advice I would give to a high school student who is considering Applied Animal Biology is to be open-minded. Deciding on a program or post-secondary school can feel permanent, but post-secondary and career paths are not linear. Unlike many other programs, the Applied Animal Biology major gives you a lot of flexibility to take many different electives. Take advantage of this and explore courses on topics you've never heard of before—you might just discover a new interest or passion.

Who is your favourite instructor in LFS and what impact have they had on your LFS experience?

There are so many amazing instructors in LFS, and it would be unfair for me to choose just one but some of my favourites are Candice Rideout, Marina von Keyserlingk, Patricia Hingston, Sasha Protopopova and Sean Smukler. Not only are they some of the top experts in their fields but they are passionate about sharing their knowledge through many different forms of learning. As LFS focuses on the applied areas of science, many of the professors teach their lessons by sharing their own personal stories and experiences which helped me understand how my learning can be easily applied to the real world.

Can you give an overview of your research experience at UBC?

When I was an incoming first year student, I only had a vague understanding of what research is. I knew that many students were looking for research opportunities so I knew that it was a career path but was not too familiar with what that would look like. During the AMS Clubs Fair, I saw a club called the Undergraduate Research Organization who was promoting a research mentorship program. The program pairs groups of students with a a researcher who will mentor the students through a literature review research. After completing the project, my research group and I even had the chance to present it at the Multidisciplinary Undergraduate Research Conference at UBC! It was such a great opportunity to dip my toes into research and learn more about the research process.

Living in residence or commuting; what is the best or most challenging aspect of your experience?

Even though commuting may not be as convenient as living in residence, I grew to enjoy commuting. Riding on public transit is a great time to unwind, listen to a podcast, scroll through social media, or read a book after a long day of classes and extracurriculars on campus. During exam periods, I can run through my flashcards on my phone and sometimes if the timing is right, I get to bump into old friends and catch up on the bus ride home.

What is one resource, event, support service, or website that has helped you during your time in LFS, and why should others be aware of it?

LFS Student Services is a wonderful place to seek advice about academics, career, and student engagement. Thinking about your academic journey and your future career path can be a confusing and complicated process. Many of my friends have said that they want to talk out their ideas with someone, but they do not even know what to say or where to start. My advice would be to just attend an advising session with a few questions prepared. I promise you will come out with a clearer head and feel more confident about your academic and career choices.

Interested in studying in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems? Learn more here!