The buzz of conversation fills the engineering lecture hall as students settle into their seats for the first day of class. As Ciana Dawydiuk-Clozza scans the room, she spots another young woman across the lecture hall.  Minutes later, they’re sitting beside one another. Four years later, as Ciana prepares to graduate and begin a master’s degree in biomedical engineering, they’re still best friends.

For Ciana, moments like that helped define her experience at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus.

From Tsawwassen, BC, Ciana chose UBC Okanagan for its sense of belonging, strong academic support and the opportunity to compete on the Heat women’s soccer team while pursuing engineering.

“What drew me to UBC Okanagan was specifically the tight-knit community that you get when you come here,” she says. “Every single person that I met was so giving and caring.”

Studying mechanical engineering with a biomedical concentration, Ciana quickly discovered a learning environment shaped by collaboration and shared purpose.

“What’s so special about the School of Engineering is how passionate everyone is about what they’re doing,” she says, “and genuinely invested in what you’re doing. The professors were beyond incredible.”

That sense of engagement carried Ciana throughout her academic journey, and fuelled her interest in biomedical engineering and its potential to improve people’s lives. Along the way, she received donor-funded awards—including the Stober Foundation Undergraduate Entrance Award in Engineering and Corbishley Go Global Award—that helped make those opportunities possible.

“Receiving awards meant that I could really spend the time to explore everything that UBC had to offer,” she says. “I didn’t have to go to practices stressed about how I was paying my next tuition installment.”

The support allowed Ciana to fully commit herself not only to academics and varsity athletics, but also to experiential learning opportunities like co-op and Go Global—experiences she says became highlights of her undergraduate degree.

“Those are things I wouldn’t have even considered if I had to work a part-time job and had those other financial worries,” she says.

Upon graduation, Ciana received the Dr. Gordon Springate Sr. Award in Engineering, as donors continue to fuel her education journey. This fall, she will begin a master’s degree in biomedical engineering through UBC’s Engineers in Scrubs program. Her long-term goal is to develop medical technologies in collaboration with patients and communities.

“I want to create healthier lives by innovating new products and devices that really meet people where they are,” she says. “There’s something really rewarding about being able to sit down with someone and hear about their experiences and their needs and create something that’s truly impactful.”

For Ciana, donor support created the freedom to embrace every aspect of her undergraduate experience—from the soccer field to the engineering lab—and set her on a path toward a future improving lives through innovation. It’s a gift she hasn’t forgotten.

“Your support really did change my life,” says Ciana to donors. “I carry the trust that you put in me to succeed, in the field that I’ve chosen, with me every day. Thank you so much!”