Grad Reflection Part 1

This is a 1st year picture of me at REV (Ron Eydt Village)!

My name is Wing Hei Ryan Chan (陈永熹 or 陳永熹) and I am here to deeply reflect on how God has worked in my 6 years of undergrad. For some context, I studied at the University of Waterloo from Fall 2018 to Winter 2024. I also did 4 co-op terms during my time as an undergrad student. My major is Kinesiology and Health Sciences and my minor is Psychology. For this reflection series, I have decided to break it down into 3 major sections, which consist of:

1. Before pandemic (Fall 2018 — Winter 2020) — -> consists of 1 blog
2. During pandemic (Winter 2020 — Fall 2022) — -> consists of 4 blogs
3. Post-pandemic (Fall 2022 — Winter 2024) — → consists of 4+ blogs

Before I continue with my reflection, it is important to recognize that each experience is unique and is part of God’s plan. I will not say that one experience is better than the other but I will say that each experience has its strengths and challenges. I am very content that God provided energy and diligence to me during these 3 different phases of my undergrad! I am also very thankful for having different brothers and sisters in Christ within different eras to guide me on my spiritual walk with Jesus Christ!

I will mention names from different eras to show my appreciation for their contributions towards my spiritual growth! There are many other names that I can mention but I will mention a few prominent names to give examples of brothers and sisters who have contributed to my sanctification. I will also include some photos along the way to embrace the memories that I had at the University of Waterloo. Mentioning names or including photos are not mechanisms to seek approval of other people or seek my own satisfaction. But rather, it is a way to honor my brothers and sisters in Christ and most importantly, honor God.

Before Pandemic

This was the time when E7 (Engineering 7) building officially opened up its classrooms and lecture halls. This was the time when the SLC (Student Life Centre)/PAC (Physical Activities Complex) expansion pack was on renovation. This was the time when Foodie Fruitie had great deals, such as free peanuts, unlimited refill of noodles AND rice, free octopus balls OR takoyaki for 6 people or more and free green tea OR red bean ice cream. This was the time when ION train officially opened up and students could use the ION train to get to downtown Kitchener. This was the time when upper years, who are 19 years of age or older, would go to the Bombshelter Pub to party, socialize and have a great time. This was the time when many CCFers (people who go to Chinese Christian Fellowship) would go to E7 classrooms on 1st, 4th or 5th floor to study, loiter or play board games, like Avalon! This was the time when we would have to wait outside DC (Davis Centre) for Fed Busses, Go-busses, Greyhound busses and GRT (Grand River Transit)!

This photo shows the construction of SLC/PAC expansion in 2019. I remembered running around this construction site during pre-pandemic times to get to class!

This photo illustrates the designated University of Waterloo bus station that all busses must stop at to pick up students, professors and other Waterloo members. As you can imagine, there is always a lot of traffic around this area and Ring Road!

The pre-pandemic era marks the time when I had the opportunity to explore university life and different friend groups. These positive memories occurred from my 1A term (my first year) to my 2A co-op term (midway of my second year). There are many more positive memories that I can recall but the point is that I enjoyed the experience! There was a lot of laughter, fun and connections that I made in my first two years. There were some challenges that I faced, such as adapting to a new environment, getting used to making new friends and grinding for midterms and final exams.

But God is able to put different brothers and sisters in Christ within CCF to keep me accountable. Special names go to Kevin Long, Benjamin Lo, Vincent Dao, Alex Lai, Jonathan Tam, Kyle Wong, Sara Long, Jasmin Tsui, Rebecca Zhang and Susana Wu. These brothers and sisters in Christ encouraged me to take breaks whenever I do not feel inclined to study. Many of these upper years were studying Kinesiology as their major and so these upper years in CCF gave me some of their tips and insights on what to beware of when taking prerequisite KIN (Kinesiology) courses and upper year KIN courses. I also remembered that we had a KIN group outside of CCF and we would pray before midterms and final exams. Special names go to Wesley Tang, Immanuel Li, Anthony Pun, Euan Ho, Enoch Ho, TJ De Vera and Manfei Choi. The good news is that the KIN cohort is very tight-knit because we were all taking the same courses and labs. So it was a great opportunity to explore different backgrounds and enjoy the memes and jokes one had to offer!

This photo represents the first UWCCF retreat that I attended. It was taken back in Winter 2019 retreat at Upper Canada Camp.

I investigated WPA (Waterloo Pentacostal Assembly) in my First Year and WPA members decided to take a photo of me and 3 other people from UWCCF (University of Waterloo Chinese Christian Fellowship). Their names are Alisa Lin, Wesley Tang and Raegan Wong (left to right).

This photo represents an example of KIN notes that KIN students use to study for midterms and final exams. Please do not ask me the question of why Squidward is drawn on this page. If you know, you know!

This photo represents a meme that became a culture in UWCCF during pre-pandemic times! If you know, you know!

In summary, this blog wraps up the introduction of my grad reflection and my undergrad experience during pre-pandemic times. The next few blogs will talk about my undergrad experience during pandemic times! So stay tuned for that…