Leonard Zheng

About

Name	Leonard Zheng
Grad year	2025
Program	Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition and Health
Major	Food, Nutrition and Health
Minor	Commerce

June 18, 2025 – Leonard Zheng has taken varied roles within LFS and UBC to build upon his leadership experiences – gaining valuable skills in finance, mentorship, sustainability work, and community building.

Zheng served as VP Finance with the LFS Undergraduate Student Society (LFS|US), where he managed a $80,000 student budget. This pushed him to understand every detail of how money flows within an organization as he worked closely with the President and other VPs to plan their budgets and understand each of the nine portfolios.

“I learned that financial decisions need to be well thought out and that offering the right advice means first understanding people’s needs. This role taught me the importance of accountability, teamwork, and planning.”

As VP Finance, he is particularly proud of leading the redesign of the Feeding the Future subsidies program in response to concerns about student food insecurity at UBC. Instead of grocery gift cards, the LFS|US team offered free meal tickets for students at the LFS|US Wednesday Night Dinner and Agora Café. It was a more budget-friendly option while providing balanced nutrition and fostering a stronger sense of community.

Through the UBC Work Learn program, he worked as a Mentorship Program Assistant for the LFS Mentorship Program. He fostered connections between 300 LFS students and alumni, recognizing that mentors and mentees are at very different stages of life, as he built a stronger community of support for LFS students.

“I had to adapt my communication style, bring creative content around careers and leadership to students, and find ways to keep alumni engaged.”

Zheng also served as a Jumpstart and Imagine Day Orientation Leader for incoming LFS students, and has been involved in UBC-wide sustainability initiatives. Zheng worked at the UBC Sustainability Hub as a Sustainability Engagement Lead, as well as an SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Action Month Coordinator. He also served on the AMS Sustainability Subcommittee and UBC Sustainability Student Advisory Council.

He continued to stay in contact with the Jumpstart students after the program ended and helped many of them grow and succeed in their personal and academic journeys.

“I shared academic tips, personal advice, and encouraged them to get involved. Many of them have since joined LFS initiatives like LFS|US, Agora Café, Sprouts, and Nutrikids, which makes me feel like I played a part in helping them thrive.”

Top tip for becoming a leader:

Consider taking on a student job—such as a Co-op or Work Learn position—or getting involved through a volunteer role with a student club, the undergraduate society (like LFS|US), or programs such as the UBC Sustainability Ambassadors Program or LFS Mentorship Program. These opportunities will not only help you develop valuable leadership skills and experience, but also allow you to collaborate with diverse teams and grow into a leadership role within the LFS and UBC community.