Meet today’s Health Sciences valedictorian

If you could have any superpower what would it be? What is your definition of success? Meet Owen Luo, the valedictorian at the May 23 convocation for the Faculty of Health Sciences.

1. Name:
Owen Dan Luo

2. Hometown:
Richmond Hill, ON.

3. What is the degree and subject you pursued?
Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours), Child Health Specialization

4. What made you choose McMaster for your higher education career?
I heard volumes about McMaster University’s Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program throughout my high school studies. I heard that the program authentically supports each student as individuals and helps students develop the skillset to collaborate and problem-solve effectively in teams. What I am most enthusiastic to share is that my experiences as a BHSc student over these past four years have far exceeded my expectations as an incoming student. If I had a chance to do it all over again, I would still choose to complete my undergraduate education at McMaster University –certainly.

5. What will you be doing/see yourself doing after graduation?
I look forward to applying my learning of group process, self-reflection and problem-solving to improve individual and societal health as I begin my journey to becoming a competent, caring and compassionate physician. I will be completing my medical education as a MDCM candidate at McGill University beginning September 2019.

6. What would you say to your first-year self?
I would tell him to love himself. I remember walking into my first undergraduate lecture feeling like an imposter: inadequate, inferior, and out of place. The more I compared myself to others and found myself coming up short, the more I questioned my own value. My first-year self would have certainly appreciated knowing to be proud of who he is, to keep standing tall, and to be himself –and nobody else.

7. Do you have any advice for current and future students?
I am sure many of you have goals in mind in regards to your performance in undergrad and your future career trajectory. Though these goals are valuable as north stars to guide your future steps, I would encourage you not let them become black holes of obsession. Becoming fixated on our goals takes us away from the present moment. The world around us is often so unapologetically beautiful. But we miss out on those moments if we are sleepwalking through life with our eyes locked on ill-defined prizes. Slow down, open your eyes, and let in the beauty of the moment we are living in.

8. How has McMaster shaped the person you are today?
When I started my undergraduate studies, I was fixated on learning content and accumulating knowledge. Mac helped me to recognize that knowledge evolves constantly and what is considered true now may shift in a few years –or even tomorrow. However, what does stay relatively conserved is our skill set and our humility to recognize when we don’t know and need to defer to others. This has helped me appreciate the value of applauding diversity and valuing divergent perspectives: which lend greater strength than like minds. Over the course of the many collaborative learning projects throughout my undergraduate degree, I learned a lot by simply listening and opening the space for others to share their stories and perspectives. I am sure that these revelations from my time at McMaster will lend great strength to my future career as a physician.

9. What events did you enjoy the most at McMaster/Hamilton?
I most enjoyed the many student-run conferences and educational events frequently held at Mac. I have attended many as a learner and even planned a few myself, such as the McMaster Child Health Conference! Each of these events afforded me the opportunity to advance my network and learn from the perspectives shared by a diversity of invited experts, professionals, and student researchers. It was so encouraging to be a learner in an institution so supportive of educational initiatives led by students for students.

10. What is your definition of success?
Success is not an outcome but a process. To evaluate my success, I would ask myself iteratively: What have I done today to become a better person than I was yesterday? The question that follows is always: What can I do tomorrow to make myself an even better person?

11. How has McMaster helped you create a Brighter World?
McMaster has helped me realize my profound power as a student. This has allowed me to collaborate with many to support a just and thriving Canada. My research with the supervision of Dr. Jane A. Foster has advanced our knowledge on neurodevelopmental disorders. I founded McMaster Stem Cell Club to advocate for and recruit donors for patients in need of stem cell transplants. In my tenure as the Editor-in-Chief of The Meducator, McMaster’s Undergraduate Health Sciences Journal, I established inclusive platforms to celebrate the undergraduate student voice. There is much more to be done. I am confident that many future student leaders will be empowered to engage in initiatives to create a Brighter World.

12. What motivates you to work hard?
My future patients, their families and the communities that surround them. As an aspiring healthcare professional, I work hard so that I can be of service to others and go where I am needed as a knowledgeable, caring and competent physician with the capacity to alleviate illness and promote wellness.

13. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
I would wish to always know how to make someone smile. I have interacted with many people struggling with their mental health or coping from mental illness. Sometimes, I find myself feeling powerless and unsure of what to say or do to best support these individuals. With this superpower, perhaps I would be able to better able to break patterns of negativity of those around me and brighten their days.

14. Who is your favourite professor?
There are many amazing educators at Mac and within the Bachelor of Health Sciences (Honours) program that have certainly lent great value to my undergraduate education. However, Ms Margaret Secord has had the greatest impact on my growth as both a student and an individual. In the classroom, Margaret has guided me to think differently and consider alternative perspectives during times of tunnel vision. Outside of the classroom, Margaret has supported me during the ups and downs of my undergraduate career through open-minded listening that I can only describe as always making me feel heard. She had also taught me to always be kind to myself. I am so lucky to have met Margaret during my studies.

15. What book are you currently reading?
The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells.

This book is a reminder that our planet is very ill and in need of our collective action to heal it. The UN-commissioned Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that an increase of global mean temperature by more than 1.5°C could make the Earth uninhabitable —and yet a 1.5°C increase is in the forecast for 2030 if climate changes continues at its current pace. I am still trying to think about how I can best be a steward of not only human health but also planetary health as a future physician.

16. While at Mac, did you receive donor-funded financial assistance (e.g., a scholarship, award, bursary)? Any thoughts on the importance of giving back to your alma mater to support future generations?
I am immensely grateful for the significant funds that donors have raised to help me finance my undergraduate studies. As a proud recipient of the Edwin Dalley Marley Memorial Scholarship, Class of ’44 Scholarship and BHSc (Honours) Scholarship, I can attest to the transformational impact of these awards on my educational trajectory. I would advocate for the continued generous contributions to support the learning of students at Mac: our next generation leaders. When I will be afforded the opportunity, I would also enthusiastically give back to the institution that has given me so much –certainly!