Joe Grabowski

BSc '08

Read Joe's Bio

Alumni Week Q&A

What is your fondest memory from U of G?

My time living in residence the first year was definitely an experience I’ll never forget. I lived in Johnston Hall and 2 North was a really tight community. First year was full of great memories and fun times on and off-campus with really good friends. My future wife lived in the same hall (although we didn’t start dating until 4th year) and we still get together with friends from residence, in fact, we all got together the summer before Covid…although we were outnumbered by kids!

What values did U of G instill in you that you carry to this day?

My time at U of G taught me a lot about setting goals and finding a balance between work and social life. A full course load is challenging, especially with so many things happening on campus and wanting to meet new people. After the first year with some ups and down, I found the right balance between my academic commitments and my social life. That’s stuck with me to this day, it’s important to work hard, but make sure you’re taking time to enjoy the rewards of that hard work. I also learned to set reasonable goals each semester, but that there’s no harm in having an ambitious goal or two on the backburner.

What is one piece of advice you want to give to current and future U of G students?

Chase your passion and find a career that doesn’t feel like work! I get to spend a lot of time with scientists and explorers from all over the world who love every minute of what they do. They all have different stories, but common themes of taking risks and making mistakes. There’s nothing wrong with making mistakes and you never want to spend too much time looking back and wondering ‘what if’. It’s ok to be unsure of what you want to do after university, it’s ok to change your mind and change your path, following your passion can lead to an exciting and fulfilling career, sometimes you find one that didn’t exist before you came along. I enjoyed teaching science but didn’t feel like I was having the impact I wanted to have. I found a way to combine my passion for science, nature and exploration with education, leading me on an adventure where I get to have an impact on hundreds of thousands of students every year.

What does the CBS 50th anniversary/AlumniWeek mean to you?

I went back and forth when choosing a university and couldn’t be happier that I choose the CBS at Guelph. I was always passionate about science and nature, but the courses I took at Guelph threw gasoline on that fire and it led me to a rewarding career in science, a lot of travel adventures and a desire to experience the natural world that has taken me diving with hammerhead sharks, crawling through dark forests looking for kiwis, running on the beach with dingoes and so much more. The 50th anniversary is a great time to reflect on the countless stories of other alumni and to look forward to the future growth of a word class program.