“Calm Down, Take Time to Reflect and Improve.” Meet Beedie Luminary Ethan Rajkumar
What is your field of study and why does it interest you?
I am studying Chemistry, pure wonderful Chemistry. The chemistry that I am learning and have learned in the past two year has a lot of application in fields ranging from environmental sciences to the health sciences. Some of the world’s greatest problems are being tackled by Chemists. This problem-solving aspect and diversity are what really attracts me to chemistry, and I hope to use the skills learn to do some ground-breaking research someday.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
My mom always says to “Take your time. Be Patient. Recalibrate if you get Lost and always have that fighter in you. If you give up, eventually that obstacle is going to consume you.” Whenever, I am in stressful situations or am feeling down, this quotes always allows me to move on and think calmly and methodically. Thanks mom!
What would you name the autobiography of your life?
“The Book of Mistakes and How to Correct Them: Told by a Person Who Made Too Many”
Do you have a motto or personal mantra?
Calm Down, Take Time to Reflect and Improve.
What was the last experience that made you a better person?
The last experience that I had was watching the movie “Picture A Scientist”, 3 weeks ago at my workplace. I was literally tearing up, but it really gave me a wide perspective on the implicit and explicit biases that Women in STEM fields face everyday. It made me want to try to help and treat women who are interested in STEM and in general better as much I can.
What is something you learned in the last week?
I learned how to assemble a shelf and a table. Context: My younger brother is usually the one that assembles furniture from Ikea or does woodworking because he is the handyman of the family. On Friday last week because he was out with friends, I forced myself to assemble a table and a shelf.
What’s the coolest (or most important) trend you see today?
That a majority of youth today don’t follow stereotypes (portrayed in media such as movies) and are quite sensitive, accepting and welcoming to other’s cultures, heritage, values, gender and sexual orientation.
Who inspires you and why?
Other than my mom, my grandmother (who is actually my grandaunt) is one of the strongest individuals that I know. When I was 2, she was diagnosed with Stage III Breast Cancer. After coming back from chemotherapy, she would have to put up with a 2-year-old hyperactive baby and still fed me, bathed me, and clothed me till I moved to Vancouver. As you can imagine that is super difficult to do. She really has been my pillar to lean on whenever I am stressed or am in chaotic situations.
What would people be surprised to find out about you?
I am a movie nut and a master binge watcher. I take my time to analyze movies for plot, photography, CGI, dialogue, and director styles in the movies that I watch. If you ask me about any movie, chances are I have seen it, talked about it, and analyzed it. Fact: I have talked about movies for 3 hours once with a friend. It was awesome!
What is your favourite thing about being a part of Beedie Luminaries?
There really isn’t one favorite thing that really comes to mind cause everything in the Beedie Luminaries program from the Mentorship Program to Mac and Flo’s Peer Groups to the Stay-On Track Program is awesome!!
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