Planning top student 2016
Nominated for the Alumni Gold Medal, Jinny graduated with the highest overall grade average in the Planning program. She achieved her high marks while also working to finance her education independently through part-time jobs, research positions and co-op terms, and still found time to volunteer in the community.
As her professors have noted, “Jinny just makes things happen:”
- As a research assistant, Jinny has contributed to research investigating the impacts of light rail transit on land development patterns as well as conducting climate change research on coastal communities.
- Jinny’s professor, commenting on the leadership Jinny demonstrated as a teaching assistant, says “she served as an inspiration to others on how one can achieve environmental and social goals within planning frameworks”
- She has volunteered her time with a number of social and environmental organizations and causes: she has planted trees with Evergreen, served as a registration officer with Elections Canada, and hosted a series of Adobe Creative Suite tutorials for young people in Waterloo Region who would not otherwise have been able to afford expensive design classes.
How did the Planning program contribute to your successes?
“Planning has allowed me to work with the public, stakeholders, consultants--a whole range of very diverse and talented individuals. I love being able to contribute to society as a planner, while looking at how our city changes, and to build a better city.”
What are your plans after graduation?
“I’m now working as a land use planner at a law firm that specializes in municipal planning law in downtown Toronto. I was previously a co-op student, and I’m very excited to be working there full time now.”
What is your advice to students considering Planning?
“Be open-minded. There are so many opportunities as a planner. Many of my peers entered the program thinking they would be urban designers, but we all found our interests and pursued passions in a variety of areas.”