Lydia Lane-Smith knows a lot about self-discipline and achieving goals. She recently completed the Royal Conservatory’s piano curriculum and earned a black belt in mixed-martial arts karate. Along the way, Lydia has made both activities part of her lifestyle. “Karate has been really good for me,” she explains. “It helps me relax and de-stress. And piano is part of who I am and how I express myself.”
Having varied interests has taught Lydia how to relate to all kind of people. Plus, Lydia believes it’s good for perspective. “If you get caught up in one thing, you forget what else is out there,” she clarifies. “I think you can do just about anything, as long as you’re willing to work hard and keep an open mind.”
In addition to her involvement in karate, piano and mechanical engineering at Waterloo, Lydia thinks ballroom dancing would be fun. It seems a curious mix of pursuits, but not to Lydia. “I want to try a lot of different things. There will be some I’m not good at, but I’ll still try,” she notes laughingly. “I think it’s important that I can look at my life and say, ‘Yeah, I did what I set out to do.’ Not; ‘Oh, I wish I’d tried it!’”