By Chloe Z., 5H
On Tuesday, February 12, Aimee Chan came to talk to us about her role in Norsat as the CEO. She came with three takeaways and one plea. Before the takeaways, she told us a little bit of her biography.
When she first emigrated from Asia at age eight with her family, all she wanted to do was fit in. At her school she noticed that all that she did was different from what the other people in her environment did. At lunch, she had chicken and rice while others had sandwiches. While she watched Asian cartoons, others watched Mickey Mouse. She used to come home crying and her father would say, “only dead fish swim with the current.” Of course telling that to an eight-year-old did nothing; she finally started understanding the meaning when she reached high school. Electronics and engineering appealed to her while her peers stayed with cooking and other common things. She unearthed her own personality from inside her and set to work with it.
After graduating, she applied to two universities. UBC and SFU. UBC’s courses drew her in and she started her first years at university. At the same time she was working on her bachelor’s degree, she was also taking PhD courses. After she finished, she enrolled herself in the MBA program. Soon after she married, she had a child. Altogether, Aimee Chan completed 15 years of education after graduating. She applied at Norsat, a company that gave internet connection in desolate places. She worked her way up the company and finally became CEO at its darkest hours. The company was on the verge of bankruptcy and she had hesitated on taking the reins on the organization. She turned the company around, and now it is skyrocketing in sales.
Her first takeaway was, “Don’t be the same as others.”
Her second was,” Don’t let people discourage your difference.”
Her third was, “Strive to be different.”
Her plea was, “Often society refers to a glass ceiling with women. Once you’ve hit that ceiling you cannot go any further. My plea to you is to help me shatter that ceiling. Always reach for your limit. Then destroy that limit and reach for more.”
Aimee Chan is still striving for her limit as her role as the CEO of Norsat. She is a fantastic role model and is extremely hard working. The grade five students thoroughly enjoyed her visit and left the girls with wonderful inspiration.