Mentor Spotlight: Renee Cheung
UBC Computer Science has been running its award-winning Tri-Mentoring Program since 2001, matching industry or faculty mentors with a 3rd or 4th year student as senior mentee and a 2nd year student as junior mentee. To celebrate the program’s 25th anniversary this year, the department is featuring a “Mentor Spotlight” series, highlighting the various mentors who have provided over 3300 students with immeasurable advice and help over the years.
This month, we are featuring Renee Cheung, a UBC Computer Science alum (BSc ‘06) and Digital Solutions Manager at Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC). She was a mentee in the Tri-Mentoring Program while studying at UBC, and after graduating, she came back as a mentor in 2006. Now, having been a mentor for 18 years, she shares how her experience with her computer science degree and her career shape how she mentors students.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
How did you become interested in the computer science field?
I got interested in computer science pretty early on. My mom started taking computer classes for fun, and she signed me up for these extracurricular computer classes in late elementary school. I stuck with it in high school and got really interested in it. I knew I wanted to go into computer science after that. But computer science is really, really broad, and that was something I realized when I started taking computer science at UBC.
I quickly realized that the math was overwhelming for me — it was a struggle. And the deeper the language, the less fun it was for me. When I hit the 300 level software engineering classes, that was when I found my stride. I started really getting into design a lot more. That was when I found that sweet spot of development and business. It was the first year they started doing cognitive science. I took one of the first courses and I loved that intersection of philosophy, psychology, computer science and linguistics. That defined my career going forward, where it was very much about that intersection between business and user experience and technology.
How did your experience during your undergrad and as a mentee shape your career?
During my time at UBC, there was only one fourth year user experience course. I've seen that whole area grow, but there was just not much for me at the time. That was a struggle in the beginning of my career where I wanted to get into that space, but I didn't have the official training for it. Luckily, I fell into a couple of roles that paid for some of my certification and things like that. For my whole career, I've been going back and forth between more technical roles and more business-focused roles and that was how things evolved for me.
Where the mentoring stuff really came in for me was that I was in the pilot year of the Tri-Mentoring Program as a second-year student. By my last year, I was actually helping Michele coordinate, matching the mentees and mentors. I had some amazing mentors who were at that intersection between business and technology. For my first job out of school, I ended up working with my mentor. She didn't interview me — I got the job, and she became my manager. She saw the potential in me. There was a heavy development component to it, but it was about operations, understanding business processes, and figuring out how you can use technology to improve the efficiency of that process. I got to do both and that really helped me define the next steps of my career after that.
"I still remember feeling like I suddenly had to figure out how to step into the industry, what I needed to prepare for and how to present myself with confidence. Having a mentor who could walk me through what the industry actually looks like, share ideas and help me grow my confidence for that first job made a huge difference. It helped turn something overwhelming into something achievable."
What are highlights from being part of the program as a mentee?
One of the biggest highlights for me as a mentee was the relationships I built through the program. I still keep in touch with several mentors, and I actually work with one of them today. Those relationships have become long lasting and genuinely meaningful to me. It’s been amazing having people I can still turn to for advice, even in an informal way. Knowing there are trusted voices I can lean on when I’m navigating new challenges has been incredibly valuable.
The second highlight was how much support I received during such an intimidating transition period as the last year of school. I still remember feeling like I suddenly had to figure out how to step into the industry, what I needed to prepare for and how to present myself with confidence. Having a mentor who could walk me through what the industry actually looks like, share ideas and help me grow my confidence for that first job made a huge difference. It helped turn something overwhelming into something achievable.
What have you learned from your experience as a mentee in the program?
One of the biggest things I learned as a mentee was that you really get out of the program what you put into it. The more I showed up with questions, shared what I was working through and actively engaged in the conversations, the more value I got back. When I took initiative — whether it was setting up extra check ins or asking for feedback — my mentors were always generous with their time and insights.
That experience taught me that mentorship isn’t passive. It’s something you help shape. And when you invest in the relationship and come prepared to learn, the growth you get in return is huge.
Why do you feel that the CS Tri-Mentoring Program is a valuable experience as a mentee?
I think the CS Tri-Mentoring Program is incredibly valuable because it gives students a way to build genuine connections at a time when networking can feel really intimidating. As a student, it’s not always easy to reach out to professionals or even meet other students outside your usual classes. The program creates a space where you can connect with people from different backgrounds, different stages in their careers and different parts of the industry in a really natural, supportive way.
What inspired you to come back to the program as a mentor?
Mentorship has been always a really big part of my life. I actively seek out mentors, whether it's in a formal or informal capacity. Having someone to talk through things on a one-on-one basis or in a small group is really important. I've had mentees who've been really lost and I see so much potential — they just didn't have the right person to talk to or they haven't talked to someone who's been there and had these challenges. Right now, especially, it's a very, very tough market out there. I don't want to see talent bleed. And on a personal level when I see someone succeed, it's such a rewarding experience.
How has mentorship from the program impacted your career?
Mentorship from the program played a pretty big role in shaping the direction of my career. Through conversations with my mentors, I realized that I’m at my best — and happiest — when I’m working at the intersection of business and technology. They helped me see how my natural strengths lined up with roles that sit in that space, and that clarity made a huge difference in the choices I made early on.
They also helped me understand what I bring to the table and how to play to those strengths instead of trying to fit into a mold that didn’t suit me. Having someone reflect that back to me, especially at a time when I was still figuring things out, gave me the confidence to pursue roles that really aligned with who I am.
What did you learn about yourself while being a mentor?
The imposter syndrome never really goes away. And sometimes there are moments where I’m like, “Who am I to be sitting here giving advice?” until you're actually interacting with your mentees and you're like, “Oh, I remember this. This is where I came from.” I think that that the mentees help me look back and remember that this is where everyone starts off and this is how far I've come in a lot of ways.
Is there any general piece of advice you would give computer science students?
There are more things you could do with a computer science degree than becoming a developer. And I think there's value in keeping your mind open to different opportunities. Don't get stuck and define yourself too narrowly when you start because you might be closing doors that you didn't know were open in the first place.