BEEDIE LUMINARIES — In the fall of 2019, eighteen year-old Sally Jiao was one of 80 students who joined the very first cohort of the Beedie Luminaries Scholarship Program. At the time, Sally’s application envisioned a successful future where she would combine her passion for commerce and filmmaking to produce educational videos. Her goal? To give more opportunities to students in need and level the playing field for students just like her.
Nearly six years later, Sally has graduated at the top of her class from UBC’s Sauder School of Business and has relocated to Toronto, Ontario, where she thrives as an Investment Analyst at HOOPP (Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan). Reflecting on her undergraduate journey—the highs, lows, and everything in between—she offers one key piece of advice to students striving for success: self-love and acceptance is essential, and you can’t succeed without it.
7 engraved sculptures, 15 plaques, 9 certificates, 4 medals.
Growing up, I obsessively counted the number of awards and scholarships I received. Having immigrated to Canada at age 11 with a nonexistent understanding of English nor the Western culture, I naturally developed a chip on my shoulder.
I distinctively remember a moment in grade 5 when, driven by a desire to prove myself, I decided to memorize the entire science textbook. I didn’t understand any of the concepts, but I was able to achieve the top mark on the test through pure regurgitation. As I would later realize, this singular event ignited a decade-long struggle with the need for external validation.
During high school, I became known as the “super extra tryhard” – the girl who registered any grade less than 90% as a colossal failure; who sacrificed social outings for AP classes, work, volunteering, and extracurricular activities. I entered the Bachelor of Commerce program at UBC with a similar mindset, and by many conventional standards, I was incredibly successful. I graduated top of class with no student debt; represented my university at various global case competitions; and independently moved to Toronto for a career in finance that I love.
However, as I approached my graduation in 2023, I started having severe anxiety about my future. Unlike the clear-cut definitions of success at school, the milestones and goalposts in life are much vaguer and more elusive. For some people, it’s about financial freedom and early retirement. For others, it’s about spending every penny to live their twenties to the fullest. Some of my friends moved to a small town to raise a family, while others migrated to big cities and prioritized their careers over relationships. My community was riddled with conflicting ideals, for which there were no right answers.
“I wanted to look back on my life with a belief that I lived true to my values, pursued my passions, and tried my best to rectify my mistakes.”
As I pondered over my future whilst listening to “Nothing New” by Taylor Swift (very Tortured Poet of me, for those who get the reference), I realized that in the midst of achieving other people’s dreams, I had lost track of my own. That night, I impulsively booked a ticket to Europe and decided to solo travel for the first time. While I hate to be a cliché sitcom character touting “Darling, I was enlightened” in a snobby British accent, the trip honestly did change my life. Sitting in a nondescript café and watching people go about their day, it dawned on me that no one in that foreign country cared about my list of accomplishments or my skills. At the end of the day, the only person responsible for my happiness was myself. I didn’t want to spend my life chasing after the “next big milestone” that would fulfill me with a fleeting moment of satisfaction. I wanted internal validation. I wanted to look back on my life with a belief that I lived true to my values, pursued my passions, and tried my best to rectify my mistakes.
When I returned from the trip, I rediscovered my hobbies in painting, crocheting, and building architectural models. I had always loved teaching and mentoring because education changed the trajectory of my life, so I began to incorporate that through becoming an instructor with Circuit Stream and volunteering to mentor university students. In addition to working for a pension fund that aligns with my values, I teach kids how to manage their personal finances and investments early. I am also writing a fictional novel that I hope to self-publish under a pseudonym sometime in the future.
My #1 advice to students? Define success on your own terms.
Remember that people will come and go in your life, and the only constant is yourself. You will make mistakes, stumble, and be criticized for both valid and invalid reasons. Focus on being a better person today than you were yesterday. Protect your peace and learn to prioritize your own happiness over societal expectations. It’s definitely not easy, and as a recovering “academic validation girlie”, I understand the pain. But as Oscar Wilde writes in “An Ideal Husband”, “to love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance”.
Looking to connect with alumni students like Sally? Connect with her here.
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