Beedie undergrad Raymond Zeng wins Governor General’s Silver Medal

It takes commitment to achieve the highest grades in your graduating class, and commitment is something that Raymond Zeng has in abundance.

“When I join something, I tend to stick with it,” says Zeng, with characteristic understatement.

This summer, the Beedie School of Business student will graduate with a business major and a minor in computing science, having achieved a remarkable cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 4.29 out of a possible 4.33.

His academic excellence has earned him a Governor General’s Silver Medal, awarded to the two undergraduate students with the highest CGPAs at graduation.

Not content with focusing on his own academic achievement, however, Zeng has also shown admirable dedication to helping others. He has completed six terms as a teaching assistant. He taught fellow undergraduates in the Business Communication course.

“Teaching is one of my biggest passions,” he says. “When students compare what they write at the end of the semester versus what they wrote at the beginning and realize how much they’ve improved, that’s the most rewarding thing.”

Teaching is nothing new to Zeng. A prodigiously talented musician who won provincial and national competitions growing up, he has been giving piano lessons regularly since he was just nine years old—and has continued to do so alongside his studies.

He also served as an executive in the SFU Recital Society from 2012 to 2016, sharing the benefits of his extensive experience playing in concerts.

Alongside his computing science program, Zeng has taught himself how to program Android applications—applying these skills to his other interests.

“I ended up making a few apps for myself, including one to help me manage my piano teaching and keep track of students,” he says.

His other great passion is for sushi and, in addition to his many other commitments, he has found time to eat at over half of Metro Vancouver’s more than 500 sushi restaurants, many of which he has reviewed in his popular blog, Raymond’s Sushi Adventures.

Looking forward, Zeng is planning to complete a master’s in computing science—but not before taking some well-earned time off, including a trip to Japan for some more sushi adventures.