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Vidhi Purohit, 19 University of Alberta (B.Sc. Chemical Engineering) Class of 2018 Vidhi Purohit has always loved math, science, and problem solv- ing — so much so that in junior and senior high, she tutored other students to help them wrap their heads around things like equations and formulas. Even at home, she couldn’t turn off her proclivity for analytical thinking. “If we bought a shed, I would be the one reading the instruc- tions and building it. I was always into that hands-on experience,” recalls Ms. Purohit. When the time came to head to university, she was torn be- tween two potential career paths: physiology and engineering. Her initial inclination was physiology, but that changed after she learned more about the diverse career opportunities an engineering degree would present. In the end, she enrolled in engineering. And after completing her second year of studies at the University of Alberta in April, there’s no doubt in her mind she made the right choice. “One of those epiphany moments I had was when I realized I could do thermodynamics and chemical processing problems for hours and not even realize it,” says Ms. Purohit, a chemical engi- neering major in the Faculty of Engineering. Several scholarships, including a $3,500 award from the APEGA Education Foundation, have helped her focus on grades. “I was able to use that money for tuition, so I don’t have to worry about working part-time while I’m at school. I can put all my efforts into studying, which has been reflected in the fact that I’m doing pretty well,” says Ms. Purohit. It’s also enabled her to continue her volunteer work with the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation. She started supporting the foundation in junior high, taking part in Run for the Cure after a family member was diagnosed with breast cancer. In Grade 11, she joined the foundation’s regional youth advisory council and helped start an Edmonton chapter, of which she’s the volunteer coordinator. In her spare time, she enjoys playing recreational basketball and volleyball, cycling and getting out into nature. “Anytime I have free time I like to go biking in the ravines or around the river valley,” she says. Although she’s studying chemical engineering, Ms. Purohit is keeping her future career options open. She’s in the middle of an eight-month coop placement with a Calgary oil and gas company, working in an operations engineering role. She’s also considering taking a biomedical engineering course as an elective when she returns to school. “Biomedical engineering is an extremely innovative field, where engineers use applications from all realms of science to advance the furthering of medicine. It's definitely something I'm looking to explore, but I'm also equally as excited to learn about other areas such as the oil and gas industry.”
Vidhi Purohit used a scholarship from the APEGA Education Foundation to help pay for her engineering tuition at the University of Alberta. -photo courtesy Vidhi Purohit
36 | PEG FALL 2015
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