A well-deserved break for top software engineering grad

After five years of taking six classes per-semester (with almost no electives) and five co-op work terms, recent software engineering graduate Julie Sparrow needed a break from all things school related. The 22-year-old, who entered the University of Victoria in the fall of 2007, just returned from a six-week trip to Southeast Asia, riding elephants and motorbikes while exploring Thailand, Laos and Cambodia.

“I finished exams on a Monday and left on the Friday. I’ve never done a long trip before and it was just getting away,” says Sparrow. “I went with my sister, and one of the first things we did was an elephant trek where you go and ride elephants for the day and bathe them and stuff.”

For Sparrow, this was one of her first opportunities to break the shackles of commitment and explore the world. But unlike most people who loathe their daily grind, Sparrow finds inspiration in keeping herself busy. While finishing her undergraduate degree, she remained actively involved in the Victoria sporting community, playing softball, soccer and volleyball.

“I find that I always make time for things that I like. I had something on pretty much every day, either sports-wise or with taking six classes,” says Sparrow. “Having those other commitments just takes your mind away from school. If you go run around for a few hours and come back, you’re that much more focused to do what you need to do.”

Having come to university with no prior programming experience, Sparrow ended up graduating with the highest GPA in her class, earning her the IEEE Victoria Section Gold Medal in Software Engineering. She is extremely humble about her academic achievements, however, stating that it was merely hard work and a desire to do well and succeed that brought her the accolade.

Yet while she excelled in academia, Sparrow feels she gained the most through the co-op program.

“I’ve done five co-ops now—a few here in Victoria and one at Research in Motion in Waterloo developing internal BlackBerry applications,” says Sparrow. “I’ve had amazing co-ops with great people and I couldn’t imagine graduating without having done the [co-op] program. It gives you experience that I don’t think you can gain at school.

Since returning from abroad, Sparrow has continued with her stint of rest and relaxation and plans to have a quiet summer before entering the workforce in the fall.