Jennifer Lischynski

Jennifer Lischynski, BSc (Hons)
Valedictorian

Jennifer Lischynski is heading to medical school this fall and is one step closer to her dream of becoming a surgeon.

While studying at UWinnipeg, Lischynski volunteered at CancerCare Manitoba’s Teddy Bear Picnic and Dragon Boat Festival, was active in UWinnipeg’s Chemistry Student Association, worked as a pharmacy assistant, and volunteered in the Misericordia Health Centre surgical ward. Opportunities to interact with patients cemented her desire to study medicine.

Working as a research assistant in Dr. Doug Craig’s biochemistry lab led to two publications and a presentation at The Chemical Institute of Canada’s annual conference in Quebec City. It also opened her eyes to how much she loved research, something she hadn’t expected.

“There are so many careers out there that you don’t even know about until you talk to the right person,” she said. “Even in the medical field, there are different niches that might suit you more than the three options you thought were the only ones when you began university.”

As a 2019 valedictorian, Lischynski looks forward to the opportunity to encourage her fellow graduates. “If you see something you’re interested in, do it. You never know where it might lead.”