Wallace Chan is an Ashton Financial Services instructor who also works as a Chief Compliance Officer in the financial sector.
Wallace graduated from the University of British Columbia with a Bachelor of Commerce and Education and began teaching high school students, first in Burnaby and then in Delta. In 2005, he traveled to Hong Kong to pursue a Masters in Economics, and worked for a policy investiture, studying economic policies and meeting with various community leaders, politicians and scholars.
In 2010, Wallace began working in the Financial Services industry, helping mining companies. Today Wallace focuses on helping junior mining firms to obtain the finances to develop their projects. Wallace began working at Ashton College in 2014 teaching in the areas of Financial Services, Accounting and International Trade.
On top of that, Wallace also hosts a radio program in Vancouver, called Open Line on Fairchild Radio.
Despite his hectic schedule, Wallace recently sat down to share his insights on what students can do to get the most out of their education.
What do you like the most about what you do?
I have always wanted to pursue both financial services and education. My goal has been to expand my career and use the knowledge and experiences I gain to build up the next generation of leaders and professionals.
I’ve spent a few years studying and gaining experience in commerce and finance, and later on started learning about economics on top of my specialization. Doing this has given me a more holistic understanding of finances and international trade. For instance, I am more aware of different considerations and calculations that happen behind the scene of business interactions. Now I can say with confidence that I can pass my knowledge to the students and hopefully help them further their careers.
Why did you decide to teach at Ashton College?
I have always been very passionate about passing my knowledge down to the new generation. When I taught at the high school level, I realized I really enjoy teaching and interacting with students. However, I also realized I would like to pursue teaching at the college or university level: you get to share more advanced knowledge and skills with the students, and they are more focused, with a better understanding of their own goals and interests.
I believe Ashton College was a good match for my knowledge and skills. Since the first semester, I have realized that the students at Ashton are very self-motivated and eager to learn, which makes me very excited to share my knowledge with them. On top of that, there are a lot of international students here who want to learn beyond the course materials. They seek more knowledge about Canada and anything related to it: policies, news, and lifestyle. I enjoy sharing those experience with the students, and I myself am learning from them all the time. I appreciate the dynamic, multicultural environment I am in.
In your opinion, what are the most effective teaching strategies?
I believe the key is focusing on preparing students for success after graduation. This will include making sure the education they receive is practical and can be applied to real-life situations.
For instance, I ask my students to come to class with a few news articles that they have picked out and read for the class discussion. This way they get to know what is happening in the world, and my hope is that doing it for a few months in class will help them form a healthy habit of checking the news regularly.
Do you have any advice for Ashton students?
Students are generally coming to Ashton to study for a short time. However, I’d like them to realize that although the course is short, the learning process is a life-long journey. I believe that this mentality is what determines students’ success.
I would also advise students to attend all of their classes; without attendance, they are not getting as much information out of the class.
I have also noticed that some students who are not as comfortable in their knowledge of English language may be less motivated to ask questions in class or communicate with their peers. I can understand how it can be challenging for international students to communicate in a language they don’t know as well – after all, I also came to Canada when I was 16. However, I would like students to understand that by starting the conversations and learning to communicate not only do they get better, but they also develop more confidence, make friends and learn more about Canada and other countries. It may be difficult to make the first step, but once you do, you notice that people are much more welcoming than you thought, and there was no need to be embarrassed in the first place.
Subscribe
By entering your email below, you agree to receive articles from the Ashton College blog. We will not send you promotional materials or any other information. You can unsubscribe at any time.
The post Faculty Feature | Wallace Chan appeared first on Ashton College.