Age: 19
Shannon Wong proves that your voice can make a difference, even at a young age. Earning her violin and piano Licentiate Diplomas (equivalent to a final-year recital of an undergraduate degree in music) at 12 and 13, respectively, she started her electrical engineering degree at the University of Calgary just two years later.
Often the youngest and one of the few females in a male-dominated space, she was inspired to speak up against gender barriers, particularly through her participation in panels, conferences and her campus club — Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) UCalgary. Under Wong’s leadership since 2023, SASE’s membership has grown from 73 to more than 2,000, with 12 corporate sponsors.
“I never saw my age as a reason to hold myself back from opportunities or stop myself from contributing to my community,” Wong says.
