30-second bio: Viola Cohen
Get to know your colleagues from across UBC
February 6, 2023
Name:
Viola Cohen
Title:
Communications and Marketing Strategist
Department/Unit:
University Relations
Location:
Okanagan
Year I started working at UBC:
2016
Describe what you do at UBC in 10 words or less:
I tell the stories of our students, faculty and staff.
What is the best thing about your work/role at UBC?
Every time I speak to a student, faculty or staff member about their life or area of expertise, I learn so much about the world we live in. It’s amazing I get to write stories about every UBCO faculty, department and school. I love having the opportunity to interact with and share the stories of our incredibly talented community.
What is your favourite quote and why?
"Life is like a box of chocolates—you never know what you're going to get." I used this quote in my high school yearbook; pulled from my favourite movie, I don’t think I fully realized its meaning at the time. I thought it was funny, and in the intervening years, I’ve definitely experienced those “Ew! Orange chocolate!” moments. But life has taught me that if there’s something we can control, it’s our reaction to those unfortunate chocolate choices.
What's one personal experience you would encourage others to do/try?
Travel the world and get out of your comfort zone. I’ve visited 35 countries, and one day I want to travel to all seven continents (yes, including Antarctica!). During my travels I met so many amazing people from all over the world and it really opened my eyes to how lucky we are to live in a country like Canada. I honestly believe that you'll never regret experiencing other cultures and will learn from it.
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