Hi, I'm Valerie Mao.
Thanks for stopping by! I'm an Architectural Engineering student who loves designing, building, and bringing ideas to life. This is a collection of the projects I've worked on, the things I'm learning, and a few ideas I've picked up along the way.
The Student Water Project
I'm also the founder and CEO of The Student Water Project, a student-led nonprofit that partners with professional engineers to bring UV water purification to communities that need it most. Right now, we're working on a system expansion at Rianyabayo Memorial Academy in Nyamesocho, Kenya.
Let's build something.
Whether it's a project, a collaboration, or just to say hi, I'd love to hear from you.
Projects
A collection of projects from my first year of Architectural Engineering, exploring the intersection of architecture, engineering, and design.
Experience
I'm always looking for opportunities to turn ideas into thoughtful, buildable solutions. If you think my experience could be a good fit for your team, I'd love to connect and see what we can create together.
Download Resume ↓Tools & Skills
The Student Water Project
Outside of school, I'm the CEO and co-founder of The Student Water Project, a student-led initiative that partners with professional engineers to bring UV water purification to communities that need it most. My favorite part of running TSWP is the people, working alongside passionate students who show up to fundraise and organize, and getting to meet engineers, scientists, and industry partners who are just as committed to making a difference.
Right now, we're working on a system expansion at Rianyabayo Memorial Academy in Nyamesocho, Kenya. Our pilot UV water treatment system there proved that safe drinking water can be delivered effectively, but its limited storage and capacity mean it still can't meet the full demand of the school. We're raising funds and partnering with engineers to expand it so every student has reliable access to clean water.
Valerie
Architectural Engineering Student - Toronto, Ontario
Hi! I'm Valerie, an Architectural Engineering student at the University of Waterloo who loves turning slightly ambitious ideas into real projects.
I'm interested in the space where architecture, engineering, design, and social impact overlap. Whether I'm designing a pavilion, working through the technical details of a water treatment system, or figuring out how to turn a student-led idea into an actual organization, I love the process of taking something from "what if?" to "how do we make this work?"
Outside of school, I founded The Student Water Project, a student-led nonprofit that brings students, researchers, and industry partners together to support decentralized clean-water projects. It's given me the chance to work on everything from UV water treatment and project coordination to fundraising, graphic design, websites, and community events.
When I'm not doing that, I'm probably designing something, learning a new software, going for a run, or starting another project that seemed much smaller in my head.
- Education
- Architectural Engineering, University of Waterloo, Class of 2030
- Based In
- Toronto, Ontario
- Languages
- English, French (B2), Mandarin, Cantonese
Let's get in touch
Whether it's about a project, a collaboration, or The Student Water Project, I'd love to hear from you. Feel free to reach out.
- Emailvvmao@uwaterloo.ca
- LocationToronto, Ontario
- LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/valerie-mao