Hi, I’m Connor Johanson

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Engineer, explorer, and shuttle chaser — I’m always moving.

My Story

I grew up in Calgary, Alberta. With the mountains so near, I fell in love with the outdoors from a young age. From skating and snowboarding to hiking, biking, and camping, I tried to spend as much time outside as I could.

I started playing soccer and badminton very young, and continued until I eventually dropped soccer to pursue competitive badminton. I competed in countless local, provincial, and national tournaments. Eventually, I acquired my coaching certification. Then, most of my time was spent in school, training for badminton, or coaching. My weekends were spent studying or competing in tournaments.

Around the start of high school, I fell in love with cooking. I enjoyed tasting new foods from different cuisines that I cooked myself. I especially enjoyed cooking with fruits and vegetables that I grew or fish I caught.

In high school I began to realize my passion for technology and problem solving. I focused on STEM subjects and eventually decided to pursue engineering. I applied to various schools and ended up taking Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

At university I made numerous friends, studied hard, and joined the varsity badminton team. Other than engineering, I found myself drawn to entrepreneurship, business, finance, health, and fitness. I traveled, explored, and learned so much. I loved my time there.

Connor outdoors

My Education

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I went to a very small private school just outside of Calgary. I focused on athletics and academics. I enjoyed math, physics, computer science, and, of course, physical education.

During high school I competed in numerous math and computing contests. I received various awards and recognition for these contests and for my other achievements. Some of these are listed below.
• First Class Honour Roll (grades 10-12)
• 5th in Province - 2017 Newton Contest
• 3rd in Province - 2019 Canadian Intermediate Mathematics Contest
• 68th Nationally - 2019 Canadian Computing Challenge
• Bronze Duke of Edinburgh
• 2019 School Leadership Award
• 9 Mathematics Contest Zone Championships
• School Elected Schulich Leader

After high school, I went to the University of Waterloo to complete my BASc in Mechatronics Engineering, Co-op. This program challenged me heavily, and I gained a wealth of knowledge throughout my experience. I met some of my closest friends and lost some of the people closest to me. I challenged myself to reach my new goals. I learned much more than just engineering at uWaterloo, and I am forever grateful for my experience there. I continued focusing on my academics, and I was fortunate to receive the following awards.
• Graduating on the Dean’s Honours List
• Spring 2023 Term Dean’s Honours List
• Fall 2024 Term Distinction
• Winter 2025 Term Distinction
• President’s Scholarship 2021
• James Baleshta Special Merit Award - 2025 Mechatronics Design Symposium

In university, my studies focused on all the components of Mechatronics Engineering such as control systems, robotics, sensors, embedded systems, and mechanical design. I did labs and projects focused on smart technologies, automation, and intelligent machines. In my final years of school, I placed special emphasis on my interests which are,
• Control Systems (including multi-variable)
• Sensor Fusion
• Machine Learning
• Wearable Systems
• System Modeling
• Business and Entrepreneurship

Some projects and labs that I found especially enjoyable and beneficial to my learning are included in my Projects tab.

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Athletics

When I was young, I played soccer and danced. I eventually decided to quit dance and focused more on soccer. Around this time, I was also introduced to badminton, which eventually became my biggest passion and focus. Our soccer team won multiple city championships and local tournaments, and I even traveled to the US as part of a smaller team to compete in a tournament. Although I was quite talented in soccer, I eventually quit to focus more on badminton and my academics. I also found enjoyment in other sports such as volleyball, basketball, and golf - each of which I played on my high school school teams. I was training for badminton many hours each week, and I traveled to compete in tournaments often.

In addition to the competitive side of sport, I was drawn to its leadership opportunities and sense of community. I acquired my coaching certification and began to coach younger players. I also tried to practice leadership through displaying sportsmanship as much as possible. Some of the awards I was fortunate enough to receive in high school are listed below.
• 2x Alberta Schools Athletic Association (ASAA) provincial champion
• ASAA Sportsmanship Award
• Junior and Senior Athlete of the Year
• Representative for Team Alberta at the badminton Western Canadian Team Championships
• National-level badminton tournament silver medalist

In university, I continued to play badminton, and was eventually fortunate enough to make the varsity badminton team. Being a member of this team challenged my work ethic significantly. Balancing academics with varsity athletics was difficult, and I often felt overwhelmed. However, I met some of my closest friends, made memories I will never forget, and proved to myself that I could accomplish things I previously thought were impossible. Getting to be a member of the varsity badminton team is undoubtedly one of the best experiences of my entire life. Our team trained almost daily, and I pushed myself very hard to improve. We were a very competitive team, and I had some of my best individual accomplishments whilst I was a member. A few of the awards that I received during university, as well as some of our team accomplishments, are listed below.
• Gold Medalists at the 2024 Canadian National University Championships
• Silver Medalists at the 2025 Canadian National University Championships
• 2x Silver Medalists at the Ontario University Athletics Badminton Championships (‘24, ‘25)
• 2x Academic Honour Roll for Student Athletes ('24, '25)
• Most Improved Player - Varsity Badminton
• Rookie of the Year - Varsity Badminton
• 1st at multiple individual local tournaments

Currently, I continue to play badminton most often. I also enjoy golf, squash, and almost any sport that I get to play.

My Passions

I try to practice my biggest passions as much as I can in life. I think that these are the things that bring me the most joy and give me a sense of fulfillment. They are what shape me as a person today. My biggest passions are:
• Badminton
• Health and Fitness
• Cooking
• Business, Entrepreneurship, and Finance
• Leadership
• Pro Sports
• Technology
• Biomechanics and Human Performance
• Problem Solving
• Personal Development