3 minute read
Swinging to success
SWINGING TO SUCCESS
During her varsity badminton days, Information Systems Technician graduate Grace Siu ’94 was an unstoppable force on the court. Today she brings that drive for success to her career in the information technology and telecommunications industry.
By Cheryl Stornelli ’07
When Grace Siu ’94 left Hong Kong in 1990 to study in Canada, she could not have imagined how drastically her life would change. The plan had always been to return to her family in Hong Kong after completing her studies.
“I didn’t intend to stay in Hamilton, but the city became my home while I was attending Mohawk College,“ says Grace. “I felt such a sense of welcome and belongingness that I decided to stay.“
Outside of the classroom, Grace immersed herself in the Mohawk community by playing Varsity Badminton. Over her three years at Mohawk, she received numerous awards for her achievement in academics and athletics including multiple Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) provincial level gold medals and the All Academic Award, the Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) national level bronze medal, and the All Canadian Academic Award in 1994, as well as a Silver Medal at her Convocation. For her incredible athletic and academic accomplishments, Grace was inducted into the Mountaineer Hall of Fame in 2003 and into the OCAA Hall of Fame in 2009.
Grace fondly remembers the support she received from her coaches and faculty to succeed in her athletic and academic journey. One award in particular that stands out to her is the Dr. Sam Mitminger Award. The highest honour in Mohawk athletics, the award is presented to a graduating athlete who has achieved excellence in both academics and athletics. In 1994, upon graduation from the Information Systems Technician diploma program, Grace was announced as the award’s recipient.
Grace recalls participating in a national badminton tournament that was taking place immediately before Mohawk’s annual athletic banquet. She wanted to make it back to the College in time to attend the banquet and receive the award in person. Grace says she’s grateful for the Mohawk staff members who treated her so well and made it possible for her to compete in the tournament as well as attend the banquet.
After graduating from Mohawk, Grace settled in Mississauga to be closer to her job and friends, while maintaining a strong affinity for Hamilton and the College. She credits much of her success to the education and invaluable support she received throughout her time at Mohawk as an international student. To help alleviate financial stress, Grace worked on campus in the International Department. She also used resources such as peer tutoring and discussed her schoolwork and future career with program faculty and deans.
Upon graduation, Grace received multiple job offers including one from Kapsch TrafficCom NA (formerly named Mark IV) a division in a global company that focuses on Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) in North America. Twenty-three years since beginning her career at the company, she has not looked back. Grace has worked her way up within Kapsch starting as a Software Technician, advancing to an Engineering Technician, later promoted as a Project Coordinator. Amidst her time at Kapsch, the company has sponsored Grace’s continued education including supporting her studies in Project Management at the University of Toronto. This secured her the position of Project Manager, and now with her PMP (Project Management Professional) certification, she holds the position of Senior Project Manager.
As part of Grace’s role, she has earned opportunities to travel abroad to the United States, Denmark, Switzerland and many more countries. She is proud to be the Senior Project Manager overseeing the most successful transponders and systems development and ETC projects in North America, such as the 407 ETR in Canada and the EZPass in the United States. She happily shares her Mohawk pride as she connects with current alumni employed at Kapsch TrafficCom NA.
Grace believes that the key to her success and happiness during her college days was a balanced lifestyle including school, work, social life and sports. Today she continues this work-life balance with fitness classes and staying involved in the community. She is a chief controller for Community Crime Awareness Day, an annual event run in Mississauga, and runs a non-profit club called Speedy Badminton. She is also a management consultant for Lee’s Badminton – a national level badminton club.
In 2018, Grace established an award with Mohawk College to create the “Grace Siu Excellence Scholarship“ that will be given to students excelling academically and who participate in the OCAA or CCAA’s with a preference for students who compete in Badminton. Grace believes that by giving back to Mohawk students through an award, she can help students achieve an education while sharing her Mohawk pride. She hopes to inspire students to work hard and never give up.
The best advice Grace can give to students is based on her own experience and are words she still lives by: “We all face different challenges every day, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Today you ask for help, tomorrow you can help others.“
