My name is Rachel Lu. I was born in Burnaby BC on July 6^th, 2004, but I’ve lived in Langley BC for all my life. Originally my family immigrated from Shanghai, China 30 years ago in the pursuit of a better life. I was taught to speak Mandarin at a young age. Over time the connection to my mother tongue faded as I spent more time here. However, I still carry the same amount of pride in my heritage and culture as I did before.

Currently at 18, I started my journey at Capilano University as a first-year student in the IDEA program. During high school I tucked myself away preoccupied with art and film. Through my art teacher I was introduced to Capilano and their design program. She believed that my skills and interests were a perfect fit for IDEA. Prior to this, I heavily deliberated between following a path of design and illustration or studying food and nutrition. Many restless nights were spent meticulously weighing the outcomes of both sides due to my indecisive nature. Ultimately, my passion for art won the battle, though science will always have a special place in my heart.

Over the next four years of my time enrolled in this program I wish to expand my knowledge on topics such as design, illustration, networking, and communication skills. I want to use this as an opportunity to branch out of my comfort zone and try new things. My goal is to try to grow as much as I can both professionally as well as personally. Along the way I intend to improve my work habits through learning how to properly organize my work and ideas, as well as time management, and learning how to balance my workload. These are all skills that I hope to carry on into the future to help me succeed in any setting.

Outside of creating art through drawing, painting, and making films I enjoy other activities. For example, I am an avid fan of going for walks to unwind, especially in nature. Sometimes the best thing to do when faced with a roadblock, is to recentre yourself and take a step back, The serenity that the world has to offer allows my mind to reset and often sparks inspiration in my artwork.

The future of my career path is still unclear now. I constantly find myself bouncing back between illustration, advertisement, and graphic design. As a future designer I want to be flexible in what I end up doing as a career. I feel that defining myself in a certain parameter locks me in a box and prevents growth. As years pass my interests and goals will be ever evolving. I believe that approaching things with an open mind is the best way to go. Currently it is too early to state what exactly I want to do in the future. For now, all I wish is to be able to create something that reflects my values in hopes to improve someone’s day through my work.