Recently graduated Seycove Secondary alumnae Saba Askari Jafar Abadi has earned a prestigious $80,000 Schulich Leader Scholarship to study at the University of Victoria in the fall.
Abadi is now part of an esteemed network of national STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) scholars at some of Canada’s leading universities. She was nominated for the coveted Schulich scholarship – only 50 are handed out nationally – by Seycove literature and economics teacher Kerry Henderson. The Crier caught up with Abadi, a Parkgate area resident, to chat about her plans for the fall and what she will be doing in her downtime this summer.
Q: What does it mean to join the ranks of national STEM scholars?
A: I have always doubted my own abilities and my skill levels, especially in terms of my academia, and after so many years of such strenuous work, I can finally take pride in my own abilities, being a part of such an incredible and successful network.
It also means so much to know that I have many other contacts in the STEM fields going through the same things as I am, meaning that I never have to feel alone in my studies as I have an entire wonderful network of STEM scholars in which I can reach out to in times of hardship.
Q: What drew you to the sciences field?
A: I love figuring out the way the world works. Ever since I was a child I had always had a very curious mind. I remember taking apart electronics in my home to figure out their inner workings - much to my parents’ dismay at their now-damaged technology. Growing up, this curiosity did not only stabilize but also grew immensely within me. The science courses I had taken at school such as chemistry, biology, and physics had always been my favourites, and I knew I had to continue my studies in these fields and further feed my irrevocable curiosity of the world.
Q: What will you be studying at the University of Victoria?
A: At UVic I will be in the bachelor of science program, and will be taking courses such as calculus, physics and biology.
Q: Are you looking towards working in research? Is there an area that interests you?
A: An area that has always greatly interested me is astronomy, and one of my potential career goals has always been to work in research in a company such as NASA, discovering more about incredible, unknown vastness of space. I hope to make many incredible discoveries in the future.
