Meet Jennifer Moh! Jennifer – or Jenn to her friends – is a fourth-year U3 student in Economics, International Development, and Psychology. Born in Canada, but raised in Taiwan, she has profited from the best of both worlds, and spends her spare time working as a Student Ambassador for McGill Welcome Centre, baking cupcakes for Peace Treats, and overseeing intramural volleyball games at the McGill gym. Read on to find out more about her duties as a Student Ambassador, her opinion on the main difference between Taiwan and Canada, and more!
Regina Wung for Her Campus McGill (HC McGill): Hi Jennifer! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself to start off?
Jennifer Moh (JM): Yeah! I’m a U3 (final year) student double majoring in Economics and International Development, and minoring in Psychology. I was born in Edmonton, Alberta, but spent the majority of my life in Taiwan. Last semester, I was on exchange at the University of Birmingham in the U.K. On campus, I’m a part of Peace Treats (the cupcake club), work as an intramural volleyball official at the McGill gym, and am currently a Student Ambassador for McGill!
HC McGill: What are your primary responsibilities as a Student Ambassador?
JM: If you’ve seen large groups of people moving around on campus stopping in front of key buildings and classrooms, chances are you’ve probably seen me at some point. As a Student Ambassador, my job is to share my experience at McGill with both prospective and incoming first-years. I work primarily at Campus Connect events, which are days when students and families come on campus for an opportunity to talk to advisors, ask questions about university life, and tour the school.
HC McGill: Being a Student Ambassador, what is one piece of advice that you would give incoming (or current) McGill students?
JM: Get out of the McGill bubble! It took me a year or two to really explore the rest of Montreal. The city has so much more to see once you’re outside of the bubble!
HC McGill: You’re also an exec for Peace Treats. Can you tell us a bit about what your position is and what it entails?
JM: I’m the VP External for Peace Treats, the vegan cupcake club on campus! My role is to promote the club through Facebook, Instagram, and other social media! Aside from the cupcakes at our monthly bake sales, we also bake cupcakes for SNAX and other clubs that order from us. We donate all our profits at the end of the year to a nonprofit organization, “Little Footprints, Big Steps,” which aids abused children in Haiti.
HC McGill: You’ve mentioned that you grew up in Taiwan. What can you tell us about some of the differences you’ve noticed between Taiwan and Canada?
JM: I would say the biggest difference between the two countries is education. In Taiwan and many Asian countries, much emphasis is placed on academics. Because I attended an international school in Taiwan, I got a glimpse of both worlds. In school, I was part of several sports teams and other extracurricular activities that in the eyes of a local Taiwanese would be considered a waste of time – extra time that could be spent on studying. After school, I attended “cram schools” to brush up on my Mandarin and math skills. It is at those classes that I saw how competitive students are in Taiwan. Students spend half of the their day at school and go directly to these cram schools right after school. They even eat dinner there and stay very late before heading home to sleep, just to repeat the cycle again the next day. On the other hand, I would say that in North America, academics are important, but so are extra curricular activities where students are able to demonstrate and acquire certain social skills that cannot be learned in a classroom setting.
HC McGill: How are you feeling about your upcoming graduation? What are your plans afterwards?
JM: Honestly, I’m excited and scared at the same time. I’m not entirely sure where I’ll be in the coming year, but my plan for now is to move to Toronto and hope to find a job!
HC McGill: Is there anything you wish you could tell your first-year self? If so, what?
JM: You’ll survive, don’t worry.
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Photos contributed by interviewee.