Cindy (Zhaohua) Cheng
Vancouver, Canada
zhaohua.cheng@ubc.ca
3+2 Transfer Program
Urban Forestry
Weblink: https://calp.forestry.ubc.ca/people/cindy-zhaohua-cheng/
Currently a full-time Ph.D. student, a research scientist at UBC’s Collaborative for Advanced Landscape Planning (CALP) on the side, and still a coordinator for the Bachelor of Urban Forestry Program, our next featured Alumna Cindy has – by any standard – quite a lot on her plate. When asked which learning or working experience has affected her career development the most, she replied,
“Pretty much every one of them! Somehow my previous positions and experience have guided me here.”
Cindy’s journey started in 2010 when she transferred to UBC under the 2+2/3+2 program. Having completed her first three years of undergrad in China, she entered UBC in her fourth year to finish her degree in Natural Resources Conservation. While completing her undergraduate degree, she had the opportunity to work at the Faculty of Forestry both as a research assistant and a student assistant. In 2013, Cindy entered the MSc program at UBC, where she would spend another three years before finally graduating. In 2015, in her final year of her MSc, she got a Work Learn position at UBC Forestry to support the BUF program.
“This was a new area for me”, Cindy admitted.
I can tell, having preciously worked mostly in research, program development must be very new to Cindy. But this opportunity turned out to play a significant role in her career down the road.
“This experience leads to my first full-time job after graduation, as the BUF Program Coordinator at UBC”
Not only that, through this job, Cindy had the chance to meet with different partners of BUF based both locally and internationally. And that in turn, inspired her to pursue her Ph.D. degree.
In 2018, Cindy officially started her Ph.D. journey, under the supervision of Dr. Stephen Sheppard and Dr. Lorien Nesbitt. That same year, Cindy got invited to be on the planning committee for the first Sino-Canadian Urban Forest Forum. But the catch is, while busy organizing the forum, Cindy was actually scheduled to speak at three other international conferences back-to-back!
“Until now, it was still the craziest 2-week in my life. And I have definitely learned to manage my time better.”
I bet! Hearing that already made me anxious, I could not imagine how hard those two weeks must have been. Nevertheless, Cindy still says that was her most unforgettable experience so far.
When asked to give some advice to current students, Cindy encourages everyone to keep an open mind to changes and challenges. Take a chance to grow, learn, and enjoy them. It usually opens up doors to more opportunities. This year the COVID-19 has introduced a new big challenge to everyone, forcing us to explore new ways to study, work, and connect with each other. Maintaining a work-life balance is crucial for our physical and mental health in this special time. Cindy encourages everyone to make a work/study plan to help keep track of all the deadlines, and to help focus on the important goals for the week. That being said, Cindy does recognize the importance of keeping a healthy work-life balance.
“I decided to set aside downtime for myself every week, if not daily, to help re-establish the boundary between work, study, and life”
Cindy has come a long way since she first set foot at UBC in 2010 as an undergrad. Ten years later, she is now a Ph.D. candidate, and research assistant, program coordinator, and many more. Her journey is really inspiring to me, and I’m sure it is for many of you too. Sometimes, we might have doubts over if we are on the right path, or if we are making enough progress with our studies or career. But Cindy’s journey teaches us that we have to trust in the process, take small steps, and learn along the way. Who knows? Ten years down the road when you look back at your own journey, you might be able to see the purpose of it all.
Author/Editor: Tiffany Ma
Photos from: Cindy Cheng