Connection helps SIAT student form lifelong friendships and launch career

Forging connections throughout his Simon Fraser University journey has helped up-and-coming designer Justin Yu catapult to success in the classroom, workplace and beyond.

When he entered university, Yu already knew he wanted to look for ways to create meaningful connections and build lasting friendships in the community. He found that belonging through various student clubs, the School of Interactive Arts and Technology (SIAT) and SFU Co-op program.

Connecting in the workplace

Yu’s quest for connection carried over into his academic life. He first came to SFU to pursue his dream of a career where could express himself through visual design and identity. 

Although he initially started studying media arts at another university, his desire to do something more hands-on and connected led him to SIAT. 

SIAT, a program at SFU’s Surrey campus, provides students with the opportunity to work in a variety of areas and discover the specific type of designer they want to become, from graphic design, to film, video game design, web design, and more.

“SIAT gave me the freedom to design things I was interested in, inspired me to try experimental approaches and encouraged me to push myself further as a designer, while also giving me the chance to build my professional network,” he says. “My goal is that one day, one of the products or designs that I work on can help improve peoples’ lives.” 

It was the opportunity to rub shoulders with professional product designers, through the SFU Co-op program, that really convinced him he had made the right decision to come to SFU.

The program allows for SFU undergraduate students to hone their skils and get hands-on experience in their respective field of study. Last year, the program facilitated 8,850 job experience placements. 

Yu landed at Vancouver-based design studio Invoke, where he spent the last year building applications, websites, client tools and conducting market research for its clients, which include one of the world’s largest automobile manufactures. 

Yu has since secured a full-time position with the design agency Green Stone. 

He discovered the opportunity though the annual SFU Touchpoint conference, a student-led event that invites industry designers and SIAT alumni to meet with current students.

The conference also lets students submit their portfolios to design firms and arrange interviews.

“While we learn a lot in our classes, working in the industry first-hand and learning from professionals lets us absorb so much more knowledge,” he said. “For me, the best part of co-op was that it made me confident in my academic choices and helped me affirm that this is the right career path for me.”  

Connecting on campus

“Joining clubs was one of the main ways I became involved with the student community at SFU,” says Yu, who is set to graduate from SIAT this spring. “It’s a great way to socialize and meet people with similar hobbies and interests.”

During his time at SFU, Yu was president of the SFU Anime Club, a student-led social group that looks to bring together like-minded people sharing an appreciation for anime, manga, and related hobbies. 

While no longer the president, Yu remains an active member of the group today and says it gave him a way to make new friends across the Lower Mainland.

Yu has maintained the relationships he built thanks to the club’s online Discord server, a space for current and former club members to keep in touch and organize events and meet-ups. 

“My time with SFU Anime enhanced my university experience by introducing me to people I would've never met otherwise, and provided me with unforgettable university memories and long-lasting friendships that I can rely on,” he says.

His favorite memories at SFU include working alongisde the anime club to organize the annual anime convention, SFU Summer Festival, held at Convocation Mall. 

Yu’s team spent more than half a year organizing the event, an experience that he says helped them bond with each other and become closer. 

“The satisfaction of seeing thousands of people come to SFU for the first time while wearing their cosplay costumes, buying fan merchandise from local vendors, and having fun, felt so rewarding since we put a lot of effort into organizing the convention each year,” he says.