Canadian immigration story: According to Canadian media reports, 65-year-old Chinese Canadian grandmother Zhuang Suwei has become the oldest undergraduate freshman at the University of British Columbia (UBC) this year. She stated that returning to campus for further studies is to fulfill her dream, as she has been interested in languages since childhood and chose linguistics, planning to volunteer as a translator after graduation.
Zhuang Suwei, who resides in Richmond, previously worked as a Certified Management Accountant and just retired in July this year. She is the oldest among the 6,560 new students entering UBC this year.
Zhuang Suwei just completed her first linguistics class on the 9th and stated during an interview: "The classrooms at UBC are very large, with about 200 people in class today, and the professor is very experienced. I believe I can learn a lot of knowledge."
Zhuang Suwei pointed out that going to university has been her dream for nearly half a century. She said: "I started working at 17, retired at 65, and have been busy with work for 48 years. Now that I am retired, I feel it is time to do what I want to do."
Born in Fujian Province, China, Zhuang Suwei moved to Hong Kong with her parents at the age of one. As the eldest sister among nine siblings, she decided at 16 to take care of her younger siblings, giving up the idea of attending university to share the responsibility of supporting the family. She later completed a technician course at Hong Kong Technical College and immigrated to Canada in 1988 at the age of 38.
After immigrating, in order to provide a better life for her two teenage children, Zhuang Suwei not only had to complete her full-time office job but also worked part-time as a translator at the airport each week. Additionally, she studied accounting courses at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) two nights a week, graduated, and obtained her Certified Management Accountant license, working in the accounting industry until retirement.
Zhuang Suwei, who has two children and three grandchildren, keeps her busy, but she stated that with the full support of her family, she will be able to complete her Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics.
However, if time could be turned back, Zhuang Suwei might have made different choices. She said: "I have loved singing since I was a child, I enjoy different languages, and I once dreamed of working at a radio station." However, Zhuang Suwei has not given up on her original dream.
She applied for the undergraduate program in linguistics at UBC last winter, but she only informed her children after receiving admission in May this year, and to her surprise, they were very supportive of her decision. In this regard, Zhuang Suwei said: "The children know that I have always loved learning, and my husband is also very supportive, perhaps because I won’t be bothering him at home anymore."
However, Zhuang Suwei also has her own concerns. She said that as she ages, the decline in her vision and memory are challenges for her, but she believes this will not stop her from pursuing her dreams. Zhuang Suwei said: "My goal is to complete my studies before I turn 70, and I was born in the Year of the Tiger, but I also have the characteristics of an Ox. Once I have a goal, I will not give up halfway."