Omer Mansoor and Sana Jawad

It is easy to get excited about the future of the Biological Sciences when you meet Omer Mansoor and Sana Jawad.  Both of them are members of the Biology Students’ Association (BSA), with Omer as the BSA President and Sana the BSA’s Vice President Academic.  Through their dedication and perseverance the BSA club has grown significantly, going from 62 members to over 400 in less than a year.   By growing the BSA into a successful and enthusiastic student-run club Omer and Sana have been able to create a vibrant atmosphere on the University of Calgary campus, and were a large reason the BSA won this year’s “Club of the Year”.  With over 360 clubs on campus and over 260 nominated clubs, winning “Club of the Year” was a significant achievement that made Omer and Sana very proud.  Part of the reason the BSA has been so successful is because of the commitment of these two amazing students, with each of them contributing to the creation of 5 new, undergraduate, student awards specific to the Biological Sciences and helping to raise thousands of dollars through successful fund raising events.  Their positivity is infectious, and their passion for helping fellow students is heartwarming to see.

Omer is in his final year of his Biological Sciences Undergraduate degree.  When asked about why he chose the Biological Sciences as his degree Omer is quick to say “I got into the Biological Sciences because I love the sciences and was attracted to the flexibility of the degree and all the options you have in the Department.  There are so many interesting paths you can take, and I love that.”  Through hard work and an incredibly positive attitude Omer has made the most of these opportunities while constantly giving back to his community in any way he can.  He is the former Faculty of Science Representative for the Students Union, and was recently elected as the Student Union’s Vice President of Operations Finance.   He is proud of the strides the Biology Students’ Association has made, saying “Over the last year we have managed to get a lot more students involved across campus.  Our most recent charity gala for “Kids Cancer Care” worked with numerous University of Calgary clubs and was very successful.  At the BSA we care about these great causes and it’s nice to see so many people getting involved.”  It is clear that Omer has a caring nature and is genuinely interested in the welfare of other undergraduate students.  As a final year student who is close to completing his degree Omer says that “A piece of advice I would give to students is to get involved; don’t pick 30 or 40 things to put on your plate, but pick 3 or 4 things to become involved with that you really care about.  These things will help drive your passion and help you when you hit the hard points of your degree.  They’ll also help you meet people and friends that will stay with you well after you graduate.”  With such a positive outlook and a work ethic second-to-none it is easy to see how Omer has helped create such a successful club in the BSA, leaving little doubt that he will continue to help his community and the Biological Sciences in the future.

Sana Jawad is a second year student and an incredibly positive and driven person.  She is VP Academic of the BSA, which she describes as a role “responsible for developing professional opportunities and Course Profiles for students.  I do this so that students have a better idea of what they are getting into when they are going into a course or program.  I also chair and coordinate the BSA Awards Committee, oversee three Academic Coordinators and work alongside the other executives to organize events such as the “How to get the most out of your BioSci Degree?” seminar, Cram Night, and Research Night.  These are all events that are created to help students achieve their dreams and goals during their Undergraduate Degree, while building a sense of community and new friendships.”  Sana says that she “came into the Biological Sciences because of all the places you can go with Science, and all the interesting things that I felt a person could accomplish using their Biological Sciences Degree.  I realized I like research in my first year, and now I have the option of doing a research course or an honours degree.  The Biological Sciences Department makes this really available to their students, which I think is great.”  She hopes that through her volunteer work she can further student engagement and work with the Department of Biological Sciences to improve the Undergraduate student experience.  Sana feels that by improving student engagement more students can realize their dreams and open the doors needed to reach their goals.  It is clear when speaking with Sana that she cares about her fellow Undergraduate students, and that she is driven by helping the Biological Sciences community.  A piece of advice Sana would give to other Undergraduate students looking to get the most out of their University experience is: “Pick a path, and make the most of that path to the best of your ability.  You meet so many great people when you are pursuing your passion, and I think that’s something everyone can really enjoy.”  It is clear that whatever path Sana chooses she will be a positive influence on those around her, and will continue to be a strong, leading voice for those she represents through the BSA.

When looking at everything that each of these wonderful students, and people, have done in their short time at the University of Calgary it is clear that the future of the Biological Sciences is in good hands, and that current and future students are being represented by two fantastic individuals.  There is little doubt that both Omer and Sana will achieve whatever they put their minds to; it is exciting to think of all the paths they will pursue, and of all the possibilities they will open for others in the Biological Sciences community.

An Article by Glynndon Dobson