One of the best parts of working at UBC has always been helping students launch their careers. On November 2, I wore my alumni hat as a speaker at Plot Twists: Arts Alumni Career Stories, an evening of live storytelling presented by the UBC Faculty of Arts for students and alumni.
About the event
Faculty of Arts alumni shared the moments that shaped their lives and careers. These weren’t presentations about success. They were stories about uncertainty, resilience, reinvention, lucky breaks, missed opportunities, unexpected detours, and discovering that the most meaningful paths are often the ones we never planned.
- When: Monday, November 2, 2026, 6:30 to 8:30 PM
- Where: Liu Institute for Global Issues, UBC Vancouver
- Event page: arts.ubc.ca
My story
Oliver Mann (BA’13, Asian Studies and Economics)
If you’d asked me in my fourth year what I’d do after graduation, I probably would have said something in Canada-Asia relations. I was on exchange in Seoul and interning at BC’s Trade Office. Instead, I graduated and became a professional musician. I signed with a record label, toured internationally, and had a day job doing communications for UBC’s Department of Asian Studies. When I stopped playing music, I started doing photography, shooting models, musicians and actors, and I taught rock climbing in the mornings. My career path wasn’t what I expected (and is nowhere near finished). I hoped to inspire others to follow their curiosity wherever it leads.