I first met Eric in Science One, a first year UBC Science program and class that we were both in. My first memory of him is while I was dutifully lining up to sample Mark MacLean's marvelous homemade ice cream (alliteration intended). I remember noticing Eric, with a bowl of ice cream in hand and a spoon in his mouth already, nodding his approval of the ice cream out of the corner of my eye. Later on, we became study buddies along with Josephine and Cindy. Eric and I talked a lot that year, mostly about science-related and other nerdy topics, and it was obvious how easily we could talk about the same topic and explore tangents without feeling like we were going off track.
However, it was also apparent early that Eric and I are quite different people, even apart from the obvious shape differences. Eric is generally quite optimistic, has strong opinions and loves to pursue ideas wholeheartedly. He is vocal, welcoming, and enthusiastic. In comparison, I have always been on the shy side, am conscientious and dislike confrontation, and I usually will have an opinion even if I can't defend it as strongly.
Over the last four years and a few months, I have become more open to new ideas and more aware of how I can present myself, while Eric has developed new ideas about education (and probably in other areas as well). We have both learned a lot about how to live by ourselves and I think we have both broadened our horizons and scope of understanding of relationships, world issues and the ways science and technology can touch lives. We have both reached out into the community - whether locally or further abroad - and built ourselves the start of our own network of connections to support us in our future careers. We know that Eric is a top-notch candidate for research positions in a very specific area of biology, while I am a fourth-year pharmacy student hoping to be a hospital pharmacy resident in a year.
As I reflect, though, I want to focus on how Eric has been a part of my life. Eric was a big part of my social and academic life in my first year at UBC. As I was trying to learn how I fit into university, I may have folded back into my shell of being good at what I am good at - studying - if I didn't have his enthusiasm to drive me to share, learn and discuss rather than to do it in solitude. He was a wealth of ideas and imagination at our group sessions and study groups.
Later on, after I got into pharmacy school, we saw each other less. But he would introduce me to his world of soccer, technology and Apple gizmos, and would have us over for dinner several times. I was able to bounce off my learning in the world of research - my first and second summers at UBC - off of Eric, who was making a name for himself as an unconventional, student researcher enigma, and even though we were studying completely different fields, we still understood each other. Eric also came over to my place and we explored Richmond once as well (alternating between food and more food)
Perhaps even more importantly, Eric was there as a friend when our coffee chats turned into opportunities for me to share my concerns and insecurities. It is refreshing to be understood by someone who is equally, if not more, driven and can understand why I am not satisfied with where I am.
And even though tributes are sometimes reserved for endings of stories, this is one to a career and a friendship that is just beginning. Although this might be a bit late, Eric, I wish you the best.
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