Scholarship Recipients
TOOBA RAZI
2023/2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Tooba Razi is currently an MD student in the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba. She was inspired to pursue medicine by her own experiences as a racialized young woman receiving life-saving healthcare. Her experiences have embedded within her a deep sense of purpose, accompanied by a relentless drive to make a difference in the lives of others. As such, she has dedicated much of her time to improving the lives of Manitobans.
Amidst the pandemic, Tooba recognized a need to foster community for cancer patients and their families and planned the annual Run for the Cure with the Canadian Cancer Society in 2021 and 2022. This event has raised over $250,000 to go towards cancer research. She has taken per passion to improve patient lives even further, now working on research to find novel drug therapies to better treat colorectal cancer.
In Medical School, she is passionate about advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion within her institution. She was appointed Vide-Stick EDI on the Manitoba Medical Students Association. Through this role, she has actively been involved in curriculum reform, offering an EDI perspective on several committees, and has recently planned a conference aimed at training effective physician-advocates.
Outside of medicine, she is committed to helping shape the next generation of Manitoba Scentists through her role as Special Awards Chair for the Manitoba Schools Science Symposium. In the future, she envisions herself using her voice to effect meaningful change, amplify marginalized voices, and dismantle barriers through her career as a physician.
divya sharma
2022/2023 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Divya Sharma is a determined and driven young woman with a passion for giving back to our community. Divya is highly involved and experienced with community engagement, the public and non-profit sector, government, and student politics. In addition to being the Vice President of the University of Manitoba Students Union, the youngest ever elected executive, she is also the youngest member of the Asian Women of Winnipeg Board, Manitoba Council for International Cooperation Board, Inclusion Winnipeg Board, Model UN Winnipeg Organizing Committee and CanU Stories Gala Committee.
Divya’s foundation of volunteering comes from her roots in India where she began “seva”, meaning giving back without expecting anything in return at the age of 6. When she came to Canada at the age of 9, she instantly felt the sense of seva in the Manitoban community, which has been a huge part of her identity since.
As a 1st year student at the University of Manitoba, Divya is working towards a Bachelors of Arts, in Global, Political, Economy. Sharma aims to promote Indigenous Reconciliation, youth involvement and diversity, equity, inclusion through sharing her skills in leadership, public speaking, budgeting, and strategic planning to build strong communities for all.
Sharma believes that “Youth are not only the next generation but the change we aspire to see today.”
MISTURAH EVBOGAME
2021/2022 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Misturah Evbogame is graduating from Winnipeg Fort Richmond Collegiate, pursing a Bachelor of Nursing through the University of Manitoba. At Fort Richmond Collegiate she is involved in clubs and sports like basketball, Teens against Destructive Decisions, and Habitat for Humanity. Outside of school, she dedicates most of her time to working and volunteering with organizations such as Boys and Girls Club Winnipeg in programs including Power up, Lead up, Youth Council and being involved in other programs like the Newcomers Sports Academy program. She enjoys playing and coaching basketball.
After seeing all the work healthcare workers, especially nurses have done during the pandemic, she hopes to also become a nurse in order to provide healthcare in a compassionate way to all people regardless of race, age, or socioeconomic status.
JUANITA GARCIA
2020/2021 SCHOLARSHIP Recipient
Juanita Garcia is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Manitoba, pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and a Biology minor. Upon completing her degree, Juanita is planning to enter medical school to become a pediatric neurologist in Winnipeg. Her experience as a 13-year-old with a rare disease and the love for the nervous system motivated her to follow the courageous doctors’ footsteps that saved her life. She wants to help children live a happier life to their full potential despite their medical conditions. Along with this, she dreams of creating an organization to help children and young adults going through difficult diagnoses by sharing her own experience, showing that a disease does not define you and it is only a driving force to keep dreaming.
Juanita works outside the classroom, providing one-to-one support to individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities through G.R.O.W. in Winnipeg. She has spent the past summers doing research at Dr. Kristine Cowley’s lab focused on improving functional capacity after spinal cord injury. Besides, she volunteers with organizations such as 5-days for the homeless, the Science to Business Network, UofM’s Science Students Association and the Hearts and Minds Lab at the University of Manitoba. Lastly, she serves as a C.H.I.’s Patient and Public Engagement Collaborative Partnership member advocating for patient-oriented research and bringing her student and patient perspective to the table.
GILLIAN MCIVOR
2019/2020 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Athena Leadership is proud and honoured to have presented its 2019/2020 Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to Gillian McIvor. As a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Manitoba, Gillian is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree next year, Gillian is planning to enter medical school in the fall with the goal of becoming an Indigenous Family Physician.
Gillian is a proud Metis woman, with family roots in Carman, Manitoba on Treaty 1 Territory. Gillian is a prominent Indigenous leader in her community at the University of Manitoba, having been a mentor for 4 years with the Neechiwaken Peer Mentorship Program as well as a student leader in the Indigenous Circle of Empowerment. She is also finishing her second term as the Indigenous Students’ Representative with the Science Students’ Association (SSA) in the Faculty of Science, a role which is very important to her. The opportunity to connect with and build a community for Indigenous Students’ in Science has made a profound impact on her studies at University. Gillian is passionate about Indigenous Healthcare. This summer, Gillian will be building on her work from the summer of 2019 in Dr. Keith Fowke’s Laboratory in Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at the University of Manitoba as a part of the Prairie Indigenous Knowledge Exchange Network Internship program.
Although Gillian already has a deep passion for her community, she was profoundly moved while volunteering at Sunshine House in Winnipeg during the summer of 2019. Sunshine House is a community health organization focused on providing community events and harm reduction for those living in the inner-city. With her goal of becoming an Indigenous Family Physician, Gillian hopes to have the opportunity to be a part of the inner city community and give back by providing longitudinal care for inner-city residents in the future.
CARLY MCFALL
2018/2019 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Athena Leadership is proud and honoured to have presented its 2018/2019 Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to Carly McFall. As a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Manitoba, Carly is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with an Honours in Psychology, and a Sociology Minor. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree next year, Carly will pursue graduate school, to complete both a Masters and PhD in Clinical Psychology.
Carly’s goal is to become a Clinical Psychologist, and one day hopes to work for an organization such as the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, helping individuals within our community begin their journey to a healthier future. This upcoming academic year, she will complete her undergraduate honours thesis within the Hearts and Minds lab at the University of Manitoba (which specializes in prevention science measures and develops intervention programs for parents and their young children).
Outside the Classroom, Carly serves on the Board of Directors for the Manitoba Wheelchair Sports Association, and in 2017 was selected as one of fifty youth from across Canada to attend the Rick Hansen Foundation Youth Summit. Carly is a senior volunteer through the U of M Volunteer Program, the U of M Mentoring Program, and is chairperson for the World University Services of Canada (WUSC) local chapter. As chairperson, Carly leads a diverse team of student volunteers who each year sponsor refugee students to resettle in Winnipeg and study at the U of M, which includes providing refugees with social and financial support and fostering awareness of the program. Congratulations Carly!
KAILEE RUTHERFORD
2017/2018 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Athena Leadership present its 2017/2018 Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to an outstanding young leader, trailblazer, and survivor: Kailee Rutherford.
Kailee Rutherford is a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of Manitoba, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Genetics with her sights set on a Medical Degree. She has been an Honors Project Student, working in the laboratory of Dr. Geoffery Hicks, assisting with his Cancer Research studies at the U of M. As if that didn’t keep her busy enough, she has additionally held the positions of Student Ambassador and Full Time Residence Advisor for Student Life, during her studies.
Kailee will be entering her final year of her undergrad this September, and is currently studying for her MCAT – as she will begin applying for medical schools this fall. Kailee’s ultimate goal is to become a pediatric oncologist specializing in sarcoma, at CancerCare here in Winnipeg. This career path is one close to Kailee’s heart -- as she herself was a pediatric oncology patient. At the age of sixteen, Kailee was diagnostic with osteosarcoma. Kailee did not back down, taking her treatments in stride – staying resilient and positive.
Following her last chemotherapy treatment nearly 5 years ago, Kailee now dedicates her time to the cancer community - volunteering as a ward visitor at the Children’s Hospital, speaking about her personal battle at various CancerCare events throughout the year, and holds the role of a Terry Fox Ambassador and Event Organizer.
As a former pediatric oncology patient, Kailee believes she can provide an invaluable perspective in care that not all physicians can offer. This summer, Kailee is continuing her passion and expanding her knowledge by working in the laboratory of Dr. Kirk McManus at CancerCare, exploring therapeutic approaches for colorectal cancer. Congratulations Kailee!
YAEL HAGHERAY
2016/2017 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Athena Leadership is thrilled and honoured to present Yael Hagheray with the 2016/2017 Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship. Originally from Eretria, Yael emigrated with her family to Canada via Saudi Arabia in 2001. Since then, she has remained passionate about helping other families experiencing similar situations. She volunteers with Syrian Refugee Aid to ensure families fleeing dangerous situations feel safe, loved and comfortable in their new homes, just as she did upon coming to Canada.
After her cousin was tragically killed by an impaired driver in 2010, Yael then devoted her time to the creation of Students Against Impaired Driving (S.A.I.D). Today Yael still serves as President of this nonprofit, which raises awareness of the dangers of drunk driving, awards a scholarship in her cousin’s honour, and organizes fundraisers to support organizations such as M.A.D.D. Yael is a strong community advocate and most recently, was accepted into Law School where she is hoping to pursue a career in Immigration Law. Yael has used the experiences of her life – both positive and negative – to shape her passions and create opportunities for herself and others. She is truly the definition of a “Leader of Tomorrow”.
JESSLYN JANSSEN
2015/2016 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
Athena Leadership was deeply honoured to present the 2015/2016 Leader of Tomorrow Scholarship to an outstanding young leader, visionary, and game changer: Jesslyn Janssen.
After losing her father to cancer at the age of 9, and subsequently losing her grandfather to Alzheimer's disease, Jesslyn became driven to never take health for granted. In January 2015, while watching a documentary about the Alzheimer's process, she learned the most common detection method for the complex disease was a 30-point questionnaire.
Fuelled by the belief a better solution existed, Janssen immediately took action in self-learning the neuroscience behind the disease, and spent her summer self-funding tireless research in the St. Boniface Hospital Research Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba (overseen by professor Dr. Zahra Moussavi, and scientists Prof. Brian Lithgow and Dr. Benedict Albensi).
Her efforts resulted in developing a biosensor that detects when a protein in the bloodstream is over-expressed in Alzheimer's disease, effectively detecting the early onset of Alzheimer's disease using nanotechnology (microdiagnostics).
As if pioneering a breakthrough in medicine wasn't enough, Janssen's invention costs less than 10 cents, takes 15 minutes to run, is non-invasive (only needing a drop of blood from the finger), and can also be applied to cancer, ebola, and other infectious diseases.
She accomplished this remarkable discovery over one summer while also balancing work, volunteer commitments in the research lab, and studies at the University of Manitoba - aimed at an honours degree in biotechnology or PhD in biomedical engineering or neuroscience. She hopes by detecting early-onset diseases, that she can prevent the loss of loved ones too soon, and can empower the less fortunate with accessible healthcare.
Jesslyn Janssen is only 19 years old. She is positioned to change lives not just in Manitoba, and not just in Canada, but across the globe. Her integrity is inspirational, her tenacity is exceptional, and her humility, vision, and passion are what will change the world.
She is truly a Leader of Tomorrow, and we are so proud and honoured to support her journey. Special thank you to our 2015/2016 guest judges Kal Barteski, Autumn Fata, Sarah Appelt, and Tracy Bowman.
Upon presenting Jesslyn the award, Athena member Danielle Tkachyk, Owner of PMC Insurance and Mokada Jewelry, matched the scholarship.
