Surrey Woman Overcomes Obstacles to Graduate from SFU

Renu Sangha will be the first deaf student to graduate from the information technology program at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus when she receives her bachelor of science degree in June.

"I was told that it’s rare for a woman to major in information technology," says Renu of her experience. "But I love math, science and art and the IT program gave me the opportunity to combine all three."

Despite her speech and auditory challenges, Sangha excelled in the male-dominated program and is using the lessons she’s learned to help others. "I got to learn how to work in a team which really helped me out as president of the Deaf Indo-Canadian Organization," she says.

Inspired by her own childhood experiences growing up in Surrey and attending school in Langley, Sangha says she founded the organization four years ago to serve families with hearing-impaired children. "It was a wild trip growing up in an all-white school and being deaf."

Sangha also drew from her own experiences in her academic life. "At SFU Surrey I was given a chance as a research assistant to work on a project of my interest – American Sign Language recognition via web conferencing," says Sangha. "It was very challenging."

Sangha admits she is one of the few people in the Deaf Indo-Canadian Organization who is academically oriented. She speaks at various schools and workshops. "I act as a role model for deaf Indian children and encourage them in academics because it’s rare to see a deaf student in university."

Sangha hopes one day to teach deaf students. "I like working with people – it would be awesome if I worked with deaf students," she says. In the meantime, her first priority is to travel. "I want to travel as much as I can before I settle down."

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