Kevin Leung reflects on engineering career during Asian Heritage Month
The former St John’s resident speaks to the family he found on campus
Asian Heritage Month is a special time for alum Kevin Leung.
The civil engineer worked as part of a diverse workforce at Manitoba Hydro, which took him to different locations all over Manitoba throughout his career.
Kevin found this fulfilling work at Manitoba Hydro to be positive yet challenging, as he was a minority in the work he did.
“Being a visible minority in the workplace was uncommon in those days. I was lucky to work at Manitoba Hydro, but I had to work much harder to prove I was equal, if not better, than the others.”
Prior to working at Hydro, Kevin moved to Canada from Hong Kong, where he stayed at St John’s Residence from 1974 to 1978 where he referred to it as, one big family.
“I never felt out of place; I always felt at home living in the residence. There were lots of fun things to do, events to attend, and diverse places to be; it was easy not to feel out of place.”
While having this one big family on campus throughout his five years, Kevin points to the lessons he’s learned at St John’s College that have helped him shape into the person he is today. Whether it be making connections with new students, taking on new responsibilities, or building the foundational skills he has used throughout this life, he expresses gratitude for the lessons he’s learned and the friends he continues to stay connected with today.
Kevin concludes his twenty-eight years of service as an engineer by continuing his work in volunteerism as the Chair of the Volunteer Education Committee at the Manitoba Electrical Museum and Education Centre.