Elliott Choi

1548 Richmond Street, London, Ontario

September 30th 2016
Dear Selection Committee,
As a rising high school senior, there was no doubt that my career path would involve
the amalgamation of both science and business; and my first year experience as a
prospective dual degree B.EngSci/HBA student at Western has done nothing other
than further secure this idea in my mind. As I begin my second year in the software
engineering specialization, I am continuously challenged by my classmates, the
entrepreneurial spirit of the campus, and by mentors in both engineering and Ivey
to be a better thinker and doer.
Not only am I a prospective dual degree student, but I am currently undergoing the
national team selection trials to become a member of the under-24 Canadian team
for Dragon Boat. Due to lack of dragon boat specific training facilities in London,
Ontario, I commute a total of five hours each week to the Afterburn Fitness Center in
Toronto, Ontario. As a student athlete, costs can mount in a variety of factors such
as competition fees, training facilities, selection camps, and travelingwith the
International Dragonboat World Championships being held in Kunming, China, my
expenses are mounting, but the experience to represent our country and Western
would be too amazing to pass up. My experience at the 2015 World Championships
was already a life-changing experience and I have no doubt Worlds 2017 will be
more phenomenal.

Aside from athletics, I am also an active member of the Western Investment Club,
University of Western Debate Society, and a student researcher for the Western
Democracy lab. As the sole engineering student in the debate society and the
Democracy lab, I found I was able to lend an engineers perspective to problems
that arose; using iterative developmental processes, I approached solutions with a
much broader mindset, and led to unique proposals such as my research on Air-
BNBs economic impact on the North American Shared economy legislation.

The Christian Lassonde Scholarship would prove to be invaluable as the costs of

being a dual degree student and athlete continue to mount. I believe with the
scholarship, I will be able to focus on impacting on a holistic basis as I currently do
so. I firmly believe that engineering is to precious a discipline to keep contained
within its own domain; the engineers approach to problem solving is an invaluable
thought process that brings new perspectives to whichever industry it touches. As I
continue down the dual degree path, I am more than excited to continue to
contribute in the classroom, as a researcher, as an athlete, and as a leader.

Regards,
Elliott Choi