BEEDIE LUMINARIES — Each year, the Vistara Elevate Award honors a student of ethnic and racial diversity pursuing a degree in finance or STEM to promote much-needed diversity in these sectors of our economy. The award provides financial support for the recipient’s first year of study within the Beedie Luminaries program. In addition, Vistara’s management team and network members offer mentorship support throughout the recipient’s four-year post-secondary program, along with a paid summer internship placement upon successful completion of their first year.
We were excited to kick off 2025 with a special visit to the Vistara Growth offices for special meeting between the 2024 Vistara Elevate Award recipient, Tina Zeng, and the company’s leadership, including Randy Garg, Founder and Managing Partner.
Graduate of Moscrop Secondary School, Tina is now a first-year at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business. She is passionate about fashion, e-commerce, and entrepreneurship. While Tina remains open-minded about her future pursuits, she has a dream to launch her own clothing line that champions environmentally sustainable designs.
“I’ve always dreamed of becoming an entrepreneur, creating something meaningful that represents my values and vision. My ultimate goal is to establish a sustainable fashion brand that uses only natural materials, steering clear of synthetic fabrics, while making timeless, high-quality pieces accessible and affordable for everyone. ” – Tina Zeng
As she embraces the highs and challenges of the second semester of her post-secondary journey, Tina continues to balance part-time work with her studies. When asked to reflect on her life in high-school versus now, Tina shares that she has been enjoying the exploration of her new “normal” and looks forward to meeting new people, joining more clubs, and exploring extracurricular opportunities in the future.
In mentioning her greatest sources of motivation, Tina’s celebrates her close relationship with her older sister, a student at the University of British Columbia, whose influence of hard work and dedication has inspired Tina to pursue her academic and entrepreneurial dreams with great confidence and independence.
Tina looks forward to working with the Vistara team this upcoming summer where she will gain invaluable experience and learn all of the business basics! She also hopes to spend time sewing at home, refining her aspirations, and taking tangible steps toward making her dream a reality.
Congratulations, Tina!
As always, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible donor and corporate partner, Vistara Growth, for their unwavering support and commitment to our program. This year marks five years of our partnership, and we are excited to celebrate the milestones we have achieved together while looking forward to even greater successes in the future. Learn more about Vistara Growth here.
Meet other Luminaries like Tina here.
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