Alumni Spotlight: Chirag Vangani

Tell us about your time at UBC. What inspired your path in Electrical Engineering? 

When I first came to UBC, I was not completely sure what I wanted my future to look like. I knew I enjoyed math and physics, but I was still trying to figure out where those interests could take me.  

A big turning point came in first year when I took PHYS 158. It had a reputation for being one of those notoriously difficult engineering courses, but surprisingly, I really enjoyed it. I found myself genuinely excited to understand the concepts, and doing well in the course gave me the confidence to explore engineering more seriously. 

That experience sparked my interest in Electrical Engineering. I became fascinated by how something as invisible as electricity could be understood through physics and mathematics and then turned into something that powers the world around us. As I progressed through UBC, that curiosity only grew. Courses in circuits, signals, power systems, and controls showed me just how much depth there was to the field. 

Eventually, I found myself especially drawn to power systems. I loved learning about how electricity is generated, transmitted, distributed, and controlled, and how engineers make sure that something we often take for granted is available reliably every time we flip a switch. Getting the opportunity to work on high voltage projects, distribution systems, and DC microgrid research made that interest feel even more real. 

But my time at UBC was about much more than academics. There were late nights, difficult courses, projects that did not work the first time, and plenty of moments where I had to push myself outside my comfort zone. At the same time, I met incredible people, mentored students, worked on research, and took on experiences that helped me grow as a person. 

Looking back, I think that is what made my UBC experience so meaningful. PHYS 158 may have sparked my interest in Electrical Engineering, but the people, challenges, and experiences at UBC shaped the engineer I became. 

I came to UBC looking for a career path. I left with something much more meaningful: a field I genuinely love and a desire to use it to build something that matters. 

What impact did your co-op and internship experiences have on you, your studies, and/or your career? 

I think my internships changed me in a very simple way: they made engineering feel real. 

My first internship was with Kenzol Lubricants in the UAE, followed by another with Mai Blue. Before that, Electrical Engineering was mostly something I experienced through lectures, textbooks, labs, and exams. My internships were the first time I could walk into a workplace and think, “This is what all of this is actually for.” 

I remember being both excited and slightly overwhelmed at the beginning. There is something very different about seeing equipment and electrical systems in a real working environment compared to seeing them in a textbook. I realized that in the real world, problems rarely come with clearly defined steps or a perfect answer at the back of the book. You have to observe, ask questions, listen, think critically, and sometimes figure things out along the way. 

That realization actually made me enjoy university more. When I went back to UBC, I started seeing my courses through a different lens. Circuits, power systems, controls, and electrical design were no longer just things I needed to learn for an exam. I could see the connection between the theory and the systems I wanted to work with in the future. 

But what I value most from those experiences is not any particular technical skill. It is the confidence they gave me. I learned that being an engineer does not mean having every answer. It means being curious enough to ask the right questions, humble enough to learn from others, and persistent enough to keep working when the answer is not obvious. My internships gave me my first taste of the engineering world. UBC gave me the foundation to understand it. Together, they helped me go from someone studying to become an engineer to someone who could genuinely see himself as one. 

What does your current role entail day-to-day, and what drew you to this field?   

In my current role as an Electrical Engineer-in-Training with Klohn Crippen Berger, I am part of the Power and Transportation team, working alongside experienced engineers on utility, mining, and infrastructure projects. My work sits at the intersection of electrical design, power systems, and protection and controls. 

Day to day, that can mean anything from performing electrical calculations and designing systems to preparing single line diagrams, equipment layouts, schematics, wiring diagrams, grounding systems, and cable and raceway designs. I also get exposure to reviewing technical submissions, writing reports, coordinating with other engineering disciplines, and supporting projects through testing, commissioning, and construction. What I really enjoy is that I am not just sitting at a desk doing calculations. I get to see how the design fits into the bigger picture and how different disciplines come together to make a project work. 

What drew me to this field was my interest in power systems. I have always found it fascinating that something we rarely think about, electricity, is behind almost everything around us. The more I learned about how power is generated, distributed, protected, and controlled, the more I wanted to be part of designing those systems. 

What I enjoy most about the industry is the combination of technical depth and real-world impact. You can spend hours solving a short-circuit or voltage-drop problem, but ultimately that work contributes to a real facility, a real piece of infrastructure, and systems that people and communities depend on. I also really value the variety. Working across utility, mining, transportation, and infrastructure projects means I am constantly learning something new. 

One thing that surprised me was how multidisciplinary engineering really is. I expected the technical side to be challenging, but I did not fully appreciate how much communication and collaboration go into a successful project. A good electrical design has to work with the civil, structural, mechanical, environmental, and other disciplines around it. I have learned that being a good engineer is not just about getting your calculations right. It is about understanding the bigger picture and communicating your ideas effectively. 

I think I knew this was the right career path for me when I realized that the difficult problems were the ones I enjoyed the most. Whether it was a challenging university course, a power systems project, or now a real engineering design, I have always enjoyed the feeling of taking something I do not fully understand, breaking it down, and eventually figuring it out. 

That curiosity is what brought me into Electrical Engineering, and it is what continues to keep me excited about the career I am building. 

During your time at UBC, you were heavily involved in various communities, including design teams and student societies, and served as a Teaching Assistant and Residence Advisor. How did your engagement across these commitments contribute to your development at UBC? How have these experiences prepared you for your career? 

When I look back at my time at UBC, some of my most meaningful memories have very little to do with lectures or exams. They are the moments when I was helping someone understand something, working late with a team, supporting a student who was having a difficult day, or simply trying to keep everything together when I had too much on my plate. 

I was involved in several design teams and student communities, and each one taught me something different. Working on teams taught me how to collaborate with people who think differently from me and reminded me that the best ideas rarely come from one person. Sometimes leadership meant taking charge, but other times it meant stepping back, listening, and helping someone else succeed. Being a Teaching Assistant taught me patience. There is a big difference between knowing something and being able to explain it to someone who is struggling with it. Helping students have that “oh, I finally get it” moment was incredibly rewarding. As a Residence Advisor, I learned an even more human side of leadership. People do not always need someone to solve their problems. Sometimes they just need someone willing to listen. 

Perhaps the most challenging and defining period came immediately after graduation. While many of my friends were beginning their next chapter, I was balancing my Work Learn International Undergraduate Research Award, working as a Teaching Assistant, serving as a Residence Advisor, and actively job hunting for my first engineering role. In many ways, I was juggling four jobs while trying to figure out where my own career was going. 

There were definitely days when I felt overwhelmed and uncertain. But that period taught me resilience in a way that no classroom could. I learned how to manage my time when there never seemed to be enough of it, how to keep moving forward when the outcome was uncertain, and how to show up for other people even when I had a lot going on myself. 

Today, I realize how much those experiences prepared me for my career. Engineering is not just calculations and drawings. It is teamwork, communication, responsibility, empathy, and constantly learning from the people around you. Those are skills I use every day at KCB. 

UBC gave me the technical foundation to become an engineer, but the communities I became part of shaped the person behind the engineer. 

And if there is one thing I am most grateful for, it is that I did not spend my university years simply preparing for a career. I spent them learning how to work with people, how to lead, how to serve, and how to keep going when things got difficult. Those lessons have stayed with me far beyond graduation. 

What is your advice for students entering the workforce or currently searching for co-op roles? Is there something you wish you had known at that time? 

If I could go back and give my university self one piece of advice, it would be this: “do not let rejection convince you that you are not good enough.” 

When I was searching for internships and eventually my first full-time role, there were definitely times when it felt like everyone else was getting opportunities except me. You can spend hours applying, preparing for interviews, improving your resume, and still hear “no” more times than you would like. It is easy to start questioning yourself. 

What I wish I had understood earlier is that getting your first opportunity is not always about being the most qualified person in the room. Sometimes it is about timing, fit, experience, or simply finding someone who sees potential in you. A rejection is not a measurement of your ability. 

My biggest advice would be to “stay persistent but be intentional.” Do not just send hundreds of identical applications. Understand the company, understand the role, and figure out how your experiences connect to what they are looking for. Talk to people. Ask questions. Reach out to alumni. Go to networking events. Sometimes one genuine conversation can open a door that dozens of applications cannot. 

I would also tell students not to underestimate the experiences that do not have the word “engineering” in the title. Being a TA, working on a student team, mentoring someone, leading an event, or taking responsibility in a community can teach you communication, leadership, resilience, and teamwork. Those experiences mattered enormously to me when I entered the workforce. 

And finally, do not rush your journey because you are comparing it to someone else's. Everyone's timeline looks different. Your first internship does not have to be your dream job, and your first job does not have to define your entire career. Focus on getting through the next door, learning as much as you can, and becoming a little better with every experience. 

Looking back, I wish I had spent less time worrying about whether I was falling behind and more time trusting that I was building toward something. 

Sometimes the opportunity you are waiting for takes longer to arrive simply because it is preparing you for a place you have not reached yet.