Quinn Soon with family at Convocation. His mother, Dr. Zoë Soon, is a UBCO professor of biology.
2026 UBC Okanagan engineering graduate Quinn Soon reflects on leadership, sustainability and creating impact through engineering
Meet UBCO 2026 BASc Civil Engineering Graduate Quinn Soon
Growing up in the Okanagan, Quinn Soon was drawn to engineering by a desire to help address some of society’s most pressing challenges, including sustainability, housing affordability and community resilience. Throughout his time at UBCO, he combined academic excellence with hands-on learning, leadership and service, graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Civil Engineering and 20 months of co-op experience.
A leader in the School’s sustainability community, Quinn helped guide UBCO School of Engineering’s award-winning Solar Decathlon team to a second-place international finish while gaining valuable industry experience through co-op placements in construction and project coordination. Outside the classroom, he remained committed to giving back through Hockey 4 Youth, a program that provides free ice time, equipment and coaching to children who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play hockey.
Recognized as the 2026 Head of Class and recipient of the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Prize in Engineering Okanagan (Overall), Quinn recently began his career as an Engineer-in-Training with R+A Engineering in Vernon, where he is contributing to housing projects across Western Canada.
Read on as Quinn reflects on his engineering journey, the experiences that shaped him and the opportunities that lie ahead.
Tell us a bit about yourself
I am from Vernon, BC, and growing up there, I enjoyed playing soccer and hockey, skiing at Silver Star, and hiking around the lakes and mountains. Before attending UBCO, I graduated from the french immersion program at W.L. Seaton Secondary School. I still live in Vernon and still play soccer every week. I also now help coach a program called Hockey 4 Youth which provides free ice time, hockey equipment, and instruction for kids who wouldn’t have otherwise had a chance to play hockey.
What drew you to UBC Okanagan and the School of Engineering?
When I was in high school, I became passionate about sustainability and addressing the environmental and affordability crises in Canada. I decided that I wanted to pursue a career that would allow me to contribute to solutions for these complex challenges. It became clear that engineering could be a good fit for me to combine my interest in math and science with my motivation to help solve real world problems.
UBC’s reputation for teaching about sustainability in engineering appealed to me, and I hoped to stay in the Okanagan where I grew up, so UBC Okanagan was at the top of my list for where I wanted to go after graduating from high school.
What is one moment or experience that defined your time at UBCO?
In my second year, I joined an engineering club called “Innovate, Design, Sustain” that was focused on engineering projects related to sustainability. I was lucky to meet many innovative and passionate students and professors through this club.
The club’s biggest project each year was participating in the Solar Decathlon, which was an annual collegiate competition organized by the US Department of Energy. The goal of the Solar Decathlon was to design a high-performance, sustainable, and scalable house. By the next academic year, I had become one of the leaders on the 2024 Solar Decathlon team.
Along with the other leaders of the team, I travelled to Golden, Colorado, to present our project at the final competition event hosted by the National Renewable Energy Lab. We placed 2nd in our division out of 47 teams from around the world, which capped off what had already become the highlight of my time at UBCO.
Did you participate in co-op, undergraduate research, or other hands-on experiences? How did they shape your path?
I did 20 months of co-op working as a project coordinator at two different construction companies in Kelowna. These were my first steps into the real world of construction and engineering, and I learned a lot about how to help coordinate each stage of the construction process.
I enjoyed my time in co-op because I was lucky to be supported by amazing colleagues and managers, some of whom were UBCO engineering graduates who understood exactly where I was at in my education and how to help me continue to develop professionally.
My co-op experiences have shaped my current career path, as they allowed me to gain a better understanding of my own strengths, the types of roles that I most enjoy, and how to continue improving myself to become a better engineer.
Can you share a project, course, or professor that had a lasting impact on you? Why?
I have had many professors who have had lasting impacts on me, but I will never forget the classes I had with Dr. Mohammad Tiznobaik. His passion for teaching was obvious, and it was clear how much he cared about preparing us to be future engineers.
My new EIT role involves applying many of the concepts that I learned from his course on the design of steel and timber structures. I have found that his course has prepared me well to understand the applicable design codes, standards, and handbooks to do structural design work for real buildings.
What are your plans after graduation? What excites you most about this next chapter?
I have successfully registered as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT), and I have started working at a structural engineering firm in Vernon called R+A Engineering.
R+A Engineering is currently involved in many housing projects across BC and Alberta, and I have already had the chance to start contributing to the structural design of several of these projects. Rising housing costs are one of the biggest concerns of my generation, so I am excited to work on projects that benefit communities by providing more housing options.
I am also excited to have the opportunity to continue learning every day from the experienced professionals I am now working alongside.
How has your Bachelor of Applied Science degree prepared you for your next steps?
I am now a month and a half into my new role as a structural EIT, and since day two in the office, I have been able to contribute to design work thanks to the foundational knowledge that I developed during my degree.
The structural engineering courses that I took with Dr. Ahmad Rteil, Dr. Lisa Tobber, and Dr. Mohammed Tiznobaik have proven to be particularly valuable as much of the content is directly applicable to real world design. Equally important to succeeding in my new role are the problem solving and technical skills as well as the industry experience that I have gained from my other classes, design club projects, and co-op jobs. However, I know that I still have a lot left to learn.
One of the fun parts of being an engineer is that the opportunities for learning never end, so I approach every day with the goal of learning more just like I did when in school.
What advice would you give to future or current engineering students?
Find ways to actively participate in the engineering community on campus. I know that it’s not always easy to put yourself out there with all the demands you have on your time and energy as a student, but it’s more than worth it to join one of the engineering clubs or societies on campus.
I found that working on club projects taught me a lot about being an engineer, and it also provided me with a lot of great memories, new friends and industry connections.
Quinn Soon receiving the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Prize in Engineering Okanagan (Overall) on graduation day.
You were recently recognized as Head of Class at Convocation. You also received the Engineers and Geoscientists BC Prize in Engineering Okanagan (Overall). What does this RECoGnition mean to you?
It feels amazing to be receiving the awards and recognition. It makes me very thankful to everyone who has supported me and helped me get to this point including my family, friends, professors, teachers, classmates, and everyone I met through my design club and co-op experiences.
The support I have received from everyone was really what made it possible for me to be graduating with these honours. I have always been motivated to make the most of the support I have received and to build the best start I could towards an engineering career that will allow me to do work that is meaningful for me.
I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, and I’m excited for what is yet to come in my career.
Congratulations, Quinn, on your graduation and on being named Head of Class for the School of Engineering’s Class of 2026. On behalf of the entire School community, we thank you for your leadership, dedication and contributions both inside and outside the classroom. We wish you every success as you begin your engineering career and look forward to seeing the impact you will make in the years ahead!