by Christine Lyons

22-year old Dorothy Ng, an SFU Political Science student, is among the 25 young visionaries being recognized by the Surrey Board of Trade this week at its 8th Annual Surrey’s Top 25 Under 25 Awards Reception. The 25 winners were chosen based upon their business or community achievements, leadership ability, community involvement, professional achievements and uniqueness of their business or community projects.

Ng works as a project manager for Axis Consulting, an organization that provides free consulting services for non-profit organizations and social enterprises. Axis is run by Enactus SFU, a global organization that uses “entrepreneurial action as a catalyst for progress, developing programs that address social, environmental and economic needs in the community, in an attempt to improve the livelihoods of others.”

With her team at Axis, Ng served such clients as Whiskey Jack Brewing, Social Diversity for Children Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters Langley, and the Vancouver Native Health Society.

“I became involved with Axis Consulting because I have always been passionate about helping others on an individual level and wanted to push myself to assist social enterprises and non-profit organizations,” Ng says.

Coming to SFU in 2013 with a Gordon M. Shrum Major Entrance Scholarship, Ng has made the Dean’s Honour Roll several years in a row. In addition to studying political science, she is completing the Charles Chang Certificate for Innovation & Entrepreneurship and she’s participated extensively in her academic and professional communities. She’s been an executive member, presentation coach, and website manager for Enactus, completed a co-operative education assignment with Blackberry, and the SFU Political Science Model NATO Field School in Vancouver, Brussels, and Rome.

“As a Political Science student,” Ng says, “I am constantly challenged to think critically about the world around me.” She goes on to say that political science has also given her transferable skills that inform her role as a project manager for Axis. In addition to learning how to refine her research and analytical skills through written and verbal communication, she says she’s developed “problem definition and scoping” abilities, and learned how to speak different disciplinary languages and clearly explain complex ideas—something she must do with both team members and clients.  

When asked how she feels about being named of of Surrey’s “25 Under 25,” Ng says she feels “incredible,” and emphasizes that the award reflects all the work she and her Axis team have put into helping other organizations improve and grow their operations. “I feel humbled to have been recognized by my peers and the greater community as a student leader - none of this would have been possible without the support of the my current Axis team, my current Enactus SFU family, and my Enactus SFU families since 2013.”

So what is next on this young leader’s horizon? Ng reports that she has earned a spot as a 2018 Amplify Business Analyst at Royal Bank Canada, a highly competitive, intensive summer innovation program she is completing through SFU Co-operative Education. Completing the internship in August, Ng will graduate in October. After that, the sky’s the limit.