As a proud University of Waterloo alumna, it seemed only natural to use some of the contributions to the Joanna Duong Chang Memorial Foundation to give back to the UW community. In 2020 we started the process of setting up the Joanna Duong Chang Memorial Award (click for details) and I’m excited to introduce the inaugural recipient! A big thank you to Lauren and the rest of her team at the University of Waterloo for their assistance in setting up the award in Jo’s honour.
When I read Angelina’s application, I was immediately overcome with emotion. Angelina’s passion and energy jumped off the page and she is exactly the type of person Jo would have loved to support. Sonia and I had the privilege to meet Angelina virtually and she is just as amazing in person! Congratulations Angelina!
Please take a moment to read through Angelina’s own words on receiving the award.
Hi everyone! I’m Angelina, a fourth year student at the University of Waterloo studying Computer Science with specializations in business and human-computer interaction.
Growing up as a first-generation immigrant from a lower-middle class family, I grew up knowing what it is like to not have access to learning resources, mentors to help navigate career decisions, or an adequate support system to seek guidance about pursuing a career in technology where women are the minority.
Ultimately, this has driven me to be passionate about leveraging my skill sets and serving as a community leader in organizations like Women in Computer Science (for the past 4 years, organizing events from mentorship panels to career workshops to empower females and non-binary individuals in tech), Hack the North (Canada’s biggest hackathon where we bring 1500+ students from across the globe to innovate and develop inspiring projects over a 36 hour period), UW Blueprint (leading a team of 10+ designers and engineers to build pro-bono tech solutions for local non-profits) and Tech+ (serving as a peer mentor) to help as many people as I can so they have access to resources I never did.
It’s an honour to receive the inaugural JDC Memorial Award, especially an award honouring such an inspiring individual like Joanna who was so passionate about connecting and empowering those in her communities. Being selected for this award means I can focus on my academics and ways to better serve my community, whether on campus or beyond. Thank you so much for this opportunity!
As a reminder: Henkaa donates 1% of sales to the foundation. Along with supporting Canadian small business, you will also be contributing to the foundation and its goal to support girls and women to reach their fullest potentials.
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With love and light,
Stan, Jolène and Dylan