Readers Write
How these UBC grads’ careers came full circle
Their career paths twisted and turned—but ultimately they were drawn to revisit an earlier passion.
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
– Søren Kierkegaard
At the start of your career, it’s next to impossible to predict where it will go. Even in the middle, it can sometimes be hard to see where you’re headed. Only when you’re looking back on your professional journey can you see that each seemingly unrelated opportunity led to the next, or that what seemed like a detour at the time was actually the direction you were meant to go in all along.
Sometimes you might even find yourself returning to a path you thought you’d left behind.
As we come to the end of our Readers Write mini-series, it’s time to hear from five alumni whose careers came full circle. In case you missed the previous installments, be sure to check out these alumni using their UBC degrees in ways they didn’t predict and the unexpected events that shaped these grads’ careers.
Thank you once again to all the featured alumni—and to everyone who shared their career story with us. It was a pleasure to read all of the submissions and to be reminded that our professional paths are rarely linear. In fact, it’s the twists and turns that really make life interesting. So, without further ado, here are five more excellent examples.
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER
For most of my early life, I thought my path would stay close to competitive ski racing. That environment shaped how I worked, how I saw the world, and the kind of people I wanted to be around.
When I stepped away from sport, I went to UBC and started exploring different directions. During that time, I worked in film production management where I gained experience in planning, coordination, and bringing projects to life. Before and alongside that, I worked in sales roles, and after graduating, I moved into a business development role that combined sales and marketing.
Daniel racing in the men’s Super-G at the 2009 Nor-Am Cup (North American Cup) at age 16.
Daniel (left) with two classmates in 2016, prior to entering his fifth and final year at UBC Okanagan.
I was sitting at my desk one afternoon when I realized I couldn’t picture myself doing that work five years from now. Nothing was wrong on paper, but my career felt disconnected from what I cared about and the environments I wanted to be in.
That moment led me to take a step that felt uncertain at the time: l left my job with the intention of finding work I was genuinely passionate about. I spent the next six months exploring consulting, entrepreneurship, and other paths, using that time to get clearer on what mattered to me and where I wanted to take my career.
What became clear was that I wanted to get back to sport—not as an athlete, but in a way that brought together everything I had learned along the way.
That decision eventually led me to sports marketing, where I’ve spent the past six years. Today, my role sits at the intersection of strategy and execution, shaping global athlete programs, building partnerships, and bringing initiatives to life around the world across the sports I grew up in.
I've been really fortunate to have parents who supported me throughout my journey, even when the path wasn’t conventional, and gave me the confidence to make decisions based on what felt right for me.
Looking back, the unexpected turn wasn’t a single opportunity. It was the decision to step away, take a risk, and be intentional about building a path that aligned with what I cared about.
Daniel (left) in Yosemite Valley in 2021 with one of the athletes he works with, just before climbing on El Capitan.
Daniel at the top of Whistler Mountain during an Arc’teryx athlete summit in 2021.
INTENTIONALLY UNCONVENTIONAL
I knew from an early age that I wasn’t interested in a conventional career path. Anyone choosing fine arts as a career is usually drawn to a different type of life. But looking back as I move into the final act of my career, there have been twists and turns, often coming from global circumstances, that I never would have predicted. Being creative in adapting to these big shifts has been just as important (and interesting) as the work itself.
I graduated with a BA in Creative Writing, after completing half of a BA in Visual Arts, and used my experience in web and graphic design to land a position as the Website Coordinator for the Ministry of Children and Family Development. I managed the Ministry’s website when few staff understood the power of using the web to connect with the public.
After a year, my connections allowed me to go freelance, and I moved to Ontario to exhibit and sell my paintings part-time while working for various clients in web and graphic design and communications. It provided a lovely balance, and I built a solid base in art and design over several years, growing both sides of my business.
Enter stage left: the 2008 financial crisis cut out half of the art market overnight. At the same time, many of my design clients scaled back their freelancer budgets and brought a lot of the work back in-house.
So I moved back to BC and started over. After struggling to find my footing, I landed an entry-level editing job at an animation company and spent 10 years in animation, working up from editing into background painting, then to asset design and art direction.
Enter stage right: the animation industry collapsed from a combination of factors, and I spent a rather scary eight months applying for work outside of animation.
Eventually I was hired to fill a maternity leave position in Fraser Health doing … web design, graphic design, and communications.
Around this time, I was also hired as an instructor at Emily Carr University in Continuing Studies, teaching design, drawing, painting, and creative writing. So with all of the changes, I have come full circle.
A self-portrait that Robyn painted in 2009.
Created in 2025, this piece is inspired by a piano belonging to Robyn's parents and will be featured in an upcoming book of poetry and paintings that she hopes to publish in 2027.
The Gulf Islands at sunset, painted in 2026.
Watching all of the current twists and turns on the world stage, I’m grateful that my path has taught me to look for other opportunities when one door is closing and to stay open to the unexpected.
Each career is a story. Mine is one of creativity, connection, and resilience. My current contract at Fraser Health will be up in January, and even with the uncertainty, I know it will work out. The next chapter is about to begin.
THE NOT-SO-EASY JOB
When I was a teenager, I had a passion for growing plants. After graduating high school, I enrolled in Plant Sciences at UBC in 1976, then went on to earn a MSc from the University of Guelph
In 1982, I returned to Vancouver to look for work, at first with little luck. It was difficult to receive rejection after rejection. Finally, I volunteered to help a former prof at UBC, carrying out plant science research, and eventually landed a permanent job doing similar work with another prof.
However, after a short time, I became really bored with the work. An acquaintance suggested I try being a teacher. He was already in the program, and he enjoyed it. I thought to myself, “Why not?” Teaching is an easy job. A "9 to 5" job. You stand in front of the class and teach. Only 10 months of work, and two months off in the summer. A piece of cake.
So, in 1984, I quit my job and enrolled in the Faculty of Education at UBC. At that time, it was only an eight-month program to get a Professional Teaching Certificate. But I struggled, hated the program, and dropped one course. After eight months, most students would have gotten their certificate and would be given the opportunity to be a teacher. In contrast, since I dropped a course, I did not complete the program. I thought it was a shame to have spent all this time and money, so I took the course I dropped via correspondence (at this time there were no online courses). After 6 months, I completed the course and received my Professional Teaching Certificate—but I swore to myself that I would never teach. I hated it.
Shortly after completing the teaching program, I got a research job with the Ministry of Forests in Prince George. This was my dream job. I eagerly went to Prince George and spent the next eight years there. Then, I was in a car accident. I got depressed. I was bored with my work and life, and I hated the long winters. So I quit my government job in Prince George and returned to Vancouver.
I tried looking for work with plants, but couldn't find employment in horticulture that paid enough. So I went into teaching, a profession that I swore I would not enter. In the beginning, I spent endless nights and weekends preparing my lessons for this "piece of cake" job. I struggled for the first few years, but then it got easier. After three or four years, as I became a better teacher, I was more relaxed, and I began to enjoy teaching.
I found teaching a challenging profession (in a good way), with rewards I did not anticipate. As a high school math teacher, I saw students struggle with the concepts, but I also got to watch them overcome challenges. More importantly to me, I have seen many of my students become fine young adults. Many have thanked me for being their teacher. One group of students wrote and performed a song about me. All this has made teaching a very worthwhile career.
Rex explaining some concepts to a student during Math Club in 2016.
Rex's former students knew of his love for plants and math, and made thank-you cards for him that reflected both of these passions. This is one whimsical example.
I retired from teaching in 2023, but I keep in contact with some of my former students. Looking back, it was the ideal job for me. Teaching is a challenging role that keeps you on your toes every minute you are in the classroom, but it’s a very rewarding one, where you can help students become the best they can be.
ALL THE DOORS THAT WERE CLOSED
For years, I worked as a clinical dietitian in the field of oncology. The interdisciplinary team was collaborative, the clients were inspiring, and I loved my job completely. But after several years, I felt like I was ready for a challenge.
A new position related to the implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR) system opened up. They needed clinicians to act as an intermediary to the health technology experts. I was nervous to try something so different from my clinical dietitian role, but I figured it was worth a shot, especially since it was a temporary position. And just like that, I entered the realm of clinical informatics, a field I didn't even know existed! Not surprisingly, there was a steep learning curve, but I liked learning about the technological aspects of health care, a passion passed on to me by my parents.
Just over a year later, COVID took over the world. I ended up relocating to my hometown to be closer to my parents. Although I was open to returning to a traditional dietitian role, opportunities were sparse. I was relieved when I came across another clinical information role, which was specifically targeted for diverse health backgrounds. This role focused on the education and experience of providers adopting the Cerner EHR system. Through this role, I learned about change management, briefing notes, adult education, networking, and leading others. I poured my heart into my work, and there were many emotional moments and times when I was pushed outside of my comfort zone. This was my first time being part of an entirely virtual team, and I was surprised by the deep connections we formed and how much we supported each other through difficult times.
While in this role, I completed my master's degree in leadership. As I finished my degree, I realized I still had a dream to work in health promotion and target upstream aspects of health care. I saw that there was a public health dietitian position available. As I prepared for the interview, I reflected on all the facilitation, systems thinking, and leadership skills I had learned. I was able to show how these skills would be helpful to me in the world of public and population health. At last, I landed my dream job and joined a public health nutrition team.
Erica (right) with a friend at a community dinner hosted by UBC Land and Food Systems during her undergrad days.
Erica (right) at a school event, representing Island Health in her current role as a Public Health Dietitian.
There were many points when I wondered how I would enter the field of nutrition. Now looking back, I realize that all the doors that were closed were meant to be and ultimately led me to the path that was just right for me. By being open to surprising detours and facing new challenges head-on, I have been blessed by a career journey that has been rewarding and meaningful.
BACK TO THE BAKERY
I did not expect that a career beginning in corporate commercial law would eventually lead me to open bakeries, build a Korean fried chicken brand, move to Shanghai for an MBA, practice as a foreign lawyer in Seoul, become the first global employee of a Korean travel technology company, live in Malaysia as that company’s first expatriate, and then return to Calgary to scale the very bakery brand I had helped create years earlier.
But looking back, the path makes more sense than it did while I was living it.
When I graduated from UBC with a Major in International Relations, I imagined my career would follow a fairly traditional professional path: law school, a respected law firm, and a long career in corporate commercial law. For a while, that is exactly what happened.
After UBC, I attended law school at the University of Alberta and began my professional career at a law firm in Calgary where I learned how to think carefully, manage risk, negotiate, and advise clients through important business decisions.
While I was working full-time as a lawyer, another part of my life quietly grew in a different direction. Together with my co-founder, I launched WOW Chicken and WOW Bakery. At first, it was something I worked on during evenings, weekends, and every spare moment I could find. But watching an idea move from paper to a real brand—and then seeing the first stores open their doors to actual customers—changed something in me.
There is a special feeling that comes from creating something tangible. A legal agreement can close a transaction, but a brand can become part of people’s lives. Seeing customers line up, team members take pride in their work, and a concept become real made me realize that I wanted to understand business not only as an advisor, but as a builder.
That realization led me to pursue an MBA. I initially imagined going to New York, but, after much thought—and some very practical advice from my father—I made an unexpected turn and went to Shanghai to attend the China Europe International Business School (CEIBS). That decision changed the trajectory of my life. At CEIBS, I was exposed to the pace, complexity, and ambition of business in Asia. It expanded my view of what was possible.
Even while studying in China, I stayed connected to WOW through management calls and strategic oversight. After graduating, I thought it might finally be time to return to the business I had helped create, but I made another strategic decision instead: I joined a law firm in South Korea hoping to gain more work experience in Asia by leveraging my legal background. But only eight months into my role as a foreign legal counsel, another unexpected opportunity appeared.
During my MBA, I had worked on a consulting project for Yanolja, a Korean travel technology company. I had respectfully declined a job offer from them after graduation, but Yanolja’s executives kept in touch and reached out again. And again. And again.
Eventually, after a lot of reflection, I made the jump. I left Korea’s leading law firm and joined Yanolja to lead global business development. That move became one of the defining chapters of my career. After spending my first year at Yanolja’s headquarters in Seoul, I moved to Malaysia as the company’s first expatriate. For more than five years, I spent nearly half of every month travelling, building Yanolja’s business on an international scale.
When I joined Yanolja, I was global employee number one. By the time I left, they had more than 1,000 employees working outside of Korea. During my tenure, I also had the privilege of participating in two Special Economic Missions of the President of South Korea, to Vietnam and the UAE, as part of the Korean business delegation.
Today, I find myself back in Canada and back with WOW—the brand I co-created in 2016. I am now the co-founder and CEO of WOW Holdings and WOW Bakery, building on the foundation we started years ago and working to scale the brand across Canada. WOW Bakery currently has eight stores operating in and around Calgary, with another opening confirmed for next year. We are also preparing to launch new brands in the coming months.
Andrew at WOW Bakery's central commissary, exploring new pastry options with his team during an R&D session.
Some of the delectable pastries and desserts that WOW Bakery made for a recent catering event.
WOW Bakery's Tiramisu Cake.
The biggest lesson I have learned is that a career does not need to be linear to be intentional. At each stage, I tried to make the best decision with the information, values, and opportunities in front of me—what I refer to as “strategic risk-taking decisions.” Some choices looked like detours at the time, but later became essential chapters in the story.
My UBC Arts education gave me a broad, global lens. Law gave me discipline and structure. Business school gave me ambition and international perspective. Yanolja gave me operating experience at a global scale. And entrepreneurship has given me the opportunity to bring all of those pieces together.
For new graduates, my advice is this: do not be afraid if your career takes an unexpected turn. Sometimes the path that looks the least predictable is the one that prepares you for the work you are truly meant to do.
