About Me
My name is Willa Wei. "Willa" is of German origin, meaning "resolute protector." My name was given to me by my English teacher, Ms. Nantais, based on her first impression of me when I first came to Canada by myself at the age of 16. My father is a material scientist who designs polyurethane polymers. He is very devoted to his research; sometimes, he works all day, even on weekends, and does not have enough time to spend with the family. Since I was a child, I learned to take care of my mother and grandparents and, in doing so, became more independent. My secret weapon is my purity of intent. In other words, I am always motivated by a sincere wish to do the right thing. I have the courage and strength to pursue my dreams and feel called to serve a greater purpose in life. My passion and charisma allow me to inspire people around me in their careers and other areas of their lives.
My happiness comes from helping others accomplish their goals and achieve their dreams! I have been taking on leadership positions at my university in multiple student clubs. I enjoy being there for people around me and supporting their dreams! I rarely shy away from an opportunity to do the right thing, even when doing so is far from easy.
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Like the famous writer Virginia Woolf once said, “The past is beautiful because one never realizes an emotion at the time; it expands later.” The world has changed in ways none of us could have imagined, now, more than ever. Connecting with and empathizing with people whose experiences are different from mine make me feel alive and purposeful. Few things bring me a deeper sense of joy and fulfillment than guiding friends and people around me to grow into their best selves. Furthermore, helping in the community presents a unique opportunity to learn from others. I endeavor to positively impact other people and the world around me through academic research and community involvement, especially for the underrepresented groups in the not-for-profit world.
My Community Involvements
The Quinte Society for Chamber Music (QSCM)
"From Brahms's melancholic tunes to Schumann's rhythmic introversions, to Tchaikovsky's impressive harmonies, classical pieces preserve our inner peace to balance out the external bombardment of indigestible information from society." Inspired by Yuanlin Liu's inspirational message in the Seventh Annual Student Editorial Contest, the current waning of classical music made me contemplate what I could do to make classical music accessible to everyone so that more people would be able to appreciate its beauty!
"All Terrain Tour 2021" by The Madoc Quartet
Last summer, I volunteered as a publicity manager at The Quinte Society for Chamber Music (QSCM). QSCM is a registered Canadian charity founded in 2015 with the mission of making classical music accessible to all, especially for people in the Quinte rural area who do not have opportunities to enjoy world-class live chamber music concerts without leaving town.
I took a train from Toronto on a Friday morning and spent a most memorable and meaningful weekend at Madoc town. "All Terrain Tour 2021" was their first in-person concert series since the Covid-19 lockdown. The Madoc Quartet, a classical chamber music band founded in 2019, performed the concerts. I recorded shows from the "All Terrain Tour 2021" and produced videos with photographs and recordings on social media and YouTube. The "All Terrain Tour 2021" was a great success. It was a
lovely experience for the audience and all present to enjoy an entire program of string quartet music in Madoc town together. After the concerts, I represented the QSCM by thanking the audience for coming, for their donations and to thank the work of our committed volunteers. My Facebook post for the QSCM has reached 8660 views and has 926 comments and likes so far!
Donor Center Volunteer at Canadian Blood Services (CBS)
One of my greatest gifts is guiding people to work together to serve the greater good. My volunteering experience at Canadian Blood Services since July of 2019 expands my viewpoint of life. As a healthy young adult, I donated my blood to support Canadian Blood Services in meeting the ongoing need for blood. On Saturday mornings, I provided services to the donors and ensured they were okay after their blood or stem cell donations. Through our consistent efforts at the donor center, Canadian Blood Services creates a safe and welcoming environment for donors to help more patients in need and save lives.
VP EVENT at Bioengineering Student Association (BESt)
Being the VP for the Bioengineering Student Association, our primary goal is to educate the student body about the various types of bioengineering job opportunities available and advancements in the field. I coordinated and hosted our Annual Graduate School Talk and Annual Summer Research Talk over Zoom. We invited Dr. Penney Gilbert and four accomplished alumni to provide advice and guidance for undergraduate students on how to get involved in graduate studies or summer research in bioengineering and to find a research position at universities.
Students had the chance to connect with the guest speakers and to ask questions at the end of the events. One student has recently talked to me about how he found an excellent summer research opportunity with a professor in England, thanks to our helpful events!
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Executive at Robogals Utoronto
From August 2019 to April 2020, I was an executive of the Robogals UToronto. The Robogals aimed to inspire and empower young women to study engineering and related fields. I designed flyers and event posts on Facebook and Instagram. I hosted workshops for high school students interested in engineering. I helped the club apply, and received $1000 from the University of Toronto for funding.
Student Ambassador and Engineering Ambassador at University of Toronto
I was also an ambassador at February Campus Day, Fall Campus Day, Ontario Universities Fair, Winter Career Fair, and Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering Conference. In representing my department and university, I answered questions about academic opportunities of the department and gave guide tours of the school labs and facilities. As a Student Ambassador, I exhibited my knowledge and experience of being an upper-year University of Toronto student, provided sound advice and mental support for students, instructors, and visitors about St. George campus at the University of Toronto. At the beginning of the school year, we responded to several inquiries about programs and resources available to students. We aided more than 4000 people in 3 weeks.
During the 2019 winter Convocation ceremony period, I happily represented the Office of Convocation. The ambassador booths were stationed outdoors at key entrances to the campus. We answered questions and offered assistance to graduating students and their guests, including directing the graduating students towards the gown rental and marshalling areas, and directing guests towards the Convocation Hall and accessibility entrance.
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When something strikes me as unjust or wrong, I stand up for people and speak up for the ideas in which I believe. When I disagree with someone, I can recognize another's right to voice their truth and search for common ground. My sensitivity guides me to speak in ways that resonate with others. From 2018 to 2020, I received recognition as Student Ambassador and Engineering Ambassador at University of Toronto.
Education
2018 - 2022
University of Toronto
I am finishing my undergraduate studies at University of Toronto. My current program of study is in Chemical Engineering with minors in Biomedical Engineering and Music Performance. My upper-year GPA is 3.84/4.0. I have been placed on the Dean’s List since the 2018 Fall semester. I placed 5th in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) Competition in April 2019. For my research, I received the J. Edgar McAllister Foundation Undergraduate Research Award for the amount of $7,000 twice in 2020 and 2021, and received Ted Rogers Center for Heart Research Translational Biology and Engineering Program USRP Scholarship for the amount of $6,000 in 2021. I was offered the Summer Research Exchange Award for the amount of $3,000 to experience a 3-month research exchange to England in 2021.
2016 - 2018
Vincent Massey Secondary School
I graduated from Vincent Massey Secondary School in Windsor, Ontario, Canada in 2018. I received the Academic Award of Excellence for achieving Honour Roll with Distinction from 2016 to 2018. I
proudly placed 4th in Windsor and within the 80th percentile in Canada in the Avogadro Chemistry Contest in 2018. Furthermore, I received the Fermat Mathematics Contest Student Honour Roll in 2017.
2012 - 2016
Tianjin Nankai High School
I graduated from Tianjin Nankai High School in China. Nankai High School is a well-known and high-ranking school in China. Nankai's alumni include many scholars and former Chinese presidents - En-Lai Zhou, Xiao-Ping Deng, and Jin-Tao Hu. I was enrolled in the gifted-student class of Nankai High School from 2015 to 2016 and achieved an average of A in all subjects.