Congratulations to Ethan Chow who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Planning! Ethan completed an Arts Work Experience (AWE) work term with the City of Edmonton and we caught up with them to talk about their graduation and their AWE. Here is what they had to say:

How are you feeling about graduating?

I’d be lying if I said I’m not at least a little anxious about the drastic change graduation brings. It feels surreal to leave behind friends and the familiarity of campus life such as the classrooms I spent many hours in and the people I’ve become friends with over the years. It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows. There were moments when I wondered whether this was all worth it, nights when I stayed up to finish assignments and activities I skipped out on so that I could study. Graduation also marks the end of a structured period in my life. There was always some level of certainty about what was next and a well-established routine of school. The lessons I’ve learned over the years have shaped me into who I am today. I’m excited to start a new chapter of my life and I’m proud of all of my accomplishments so far. I’m excited about the endless possibilities of my future and the many thrilling adventures that await!

Talk about your work term with AWE! What was your role and responsibilities? What did you learn? 

During my work term, I worked in Development Services at the City of Edmonton. I contributed to a wide range of greenfield development, including assisting in statutory plan amendment, rezoning and road closures. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to work for the City of Edmonton during my work term. Under the mentorship of many incredible Planners, I’m confident to say that what I’ve learned during that eight-month work term benefited me hugely for the remainder of my degree and it continues to do so. It was an amazing opportunity to witness development happening in Edmonton first-hand and know I contributed to that success. This work term provided me with a different lens in viewing real-world problems and provided me with the practical skills to address them.