Galicia Gordon on Leading Learners Blog

Mar 02, 2022

Interview With Waterloo Systems Design Engineering Student, Anson Yu

Please note: The original interview was conducted in April 2020.

Tell us about SFU Surge!

SFU Surge is a community at SFU for students passionate about technology. We hold talks, workshops, networking nights, and many more events so that students can learn from industry and community. We also incubate semester-long Projects for students to work in multidisciplinary teams and create products or games, providing valuable hands-on experience.

Who are your heroes/inspirations? Why?

I have great admiration for Steve Jobs because of his constant drive to innovate, and because of his fierce dedication to perfect execution.

If you could tell one student who is worried about their post-secondary life a “rule of thumb,” what would you advise?

In my AP Psychology class, my teacher told me a statement I never forgot: “The trick about being an adult isn’t about being able to do everything; it’s being able to prioritize everything you need and want to do.” Not everything you want to achieve is achievable, and that is very much okay. However, if something does matter to you, then you should put as much time and effort as you can possibly spare in order to get it done. Choose your priorities well, and your post-secondary life will have a clear path.

How do you define a leader?

A leader cultivates a team and its members, and provides purpose and direction to the team. Every leader should inspire their team to work harder and become better, whether with kind support or relentless drive or both.

What do you hope to pursue in the future? What excites you about this career?

I will be graduating soon with a degree in Computing Science, but I am looking to become a Project/Product Manager in the tech field. I’m looking forward to leveraging my passion for innovation and technology, and my experience leading student organizations and teams.