Allison Li, Masters of Food and Resource Economics, Student Award Recipient
Studying finance in China, Allison Li, was hoping to find a more specific area to inspire her career. Following a summer program at UBC Sauder School of Business Allison enrolled in the Master of Food and Resource Economics program in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems. One highlight of her time in the summer program, was how different the learning environment is at UBC, one that enables you to have a real-world experience, and she started to explore a new area of study for her career aspirations.
Allison is a big fan of extreme sports and rock climbing, with nature and outdoor activities and was excited to see that Vancouver was able to offer the space to explore her hobbies. She expressed how important the support she received, whether academically or in her own health and wellness, gave her the ability to thrive as a student. She has built a strong community of students, teaching assistants and professors by cultivating relationships. She was able to excel in her study groups and harness her leadership skills, as well as to gain tangible skills both in the classroom and beyond. Along with gaining the knowledge and abilities to progress in the field of Food and Resource Economics, Allison found the career development through workshops and networking opportunities, helped launched her career after graduating.
Allison felt increasingly prepared to work in her field during her studies and was hired right after completing her classes. The most meaningful aspect of studying in LFS for Allison was connecting over food, and though she found the MFRE program challenging, she found the community of LFS made it easier to navigate. In the cooperative study atmosphere there is a sense of enjoyment, even with the high work load.
Allison’s advice to current and prospective students is to focus on gaining analytical skills, and encourages students to balance study and social life outside of school and to enjoy the outdoor beauty that Vancouver has to offer.
Grateful for having received student support, she acknowledges how important it was to “keep pushing me forward and to know that I am on the right direction in terms of my goals”. With the student support, she acknowledges that LFS has been a journey for her getting to know herself, getting clear on her goals, and learning the skills that helped her the direction she wanted and was looking for.
After graduating, Allison is now working as a Business Intelligence Analyst at G & F Financial Group.