What brought you to UPEI? Which program(s) did you take?

I was born in Cairo, Egypt and I moved to PEI when I was nine—so that’s my birthplace, and I would call it my home too—but so is Charlottetown! I grew up here, and always knew I'd end up at UPEI. More so probably when my mom started her Masters at the Atlantic Veterinary College in 2014 and went on to do her PhD at the AVC.

I entered UPEI through early admission from Grade 11, so I skipped Grade 12 completely. It’s a program that UPEI had at the time, I didn’t even know about it, but my mom had pointed it out. It was something that I don’t think many other universities offered. It was a great opportunity, and I’m glad I did it. I started a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2019 and graduated in May of 2023. Currently, I’m working on a Master’s degree which I started in the Winter of 2024, so I can focus on a research project I’ve been working on since my undergrad.    

What do you find unique and interesting about your UPEI programs?

I really liked working on research projects during my BA, and being able to receive course credit for research work through directed studies courses. During my third year, I got to work on a research project with Dr. Jessica Strong in the Psychology department. She was my Statistics professor, we were both runners, and we would sometimes talk about running or she would give me examples during the Stats course that were running-related to help me better understand a topic. We started discussing different research projects, and when I discovered her research in geriatrics, I was kind of floating at the time and didn’t have a specific focus.

During one of our conversations, she mentioned how some other professors and researchers wanted to start a study that looked at the impact of physical activity—particularly running, walking, jogging—on the impact of cognition in people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment. I jumped on that. It became a group of UPEI students in Dr. Strong’s research lab and other researchers, professors, and students from the United States, Germany, and the UK. I worked on a literature review, read through articles, and helped create a poster presentation for the 2023 GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in November. We’re also working on a manuscript for publishing, where I edited the "Methods" section. I’m so grateful to be part of that project. And now I’ve taken a portion of that research, and it’s what I’m currently working on in my Master’s program.

What kinds of support did you receive during your time here from UPEI students, staff, and faculty members?

Since UPEI is small, once you get to know people and build connections you’re able to build your network and get opportunities that you couldn’t before. It’s a small community kind of thing.

I've volunteered on various research projects that have helped shape my overall focus when it comes to my area of interest. I’ve also worked at the UPEI Writing Centre as a tutor, and I was able to network with various professors, staff members, and students that have been my biggest supporters when I was applying for different jobs or just when it came to my tiny side job as a multimedia artist. I’ve had a large number of my professors, co-workers (majority other students), and people I meet across campus show up at art markets I was vending at, and supporting my handmade miniatures and art—that always means a lot to me.

"I think my favourite part is when Dalton Hall got really busy in January because then I got to talk to students the most, and I wasn’t just always working in spreadsheets or answering emails or things that required looking at a screen for most of my day. That energy shift in Dalton Hall during that time, was my favourite."

What's unique about UPEI, and Prince Edward Island, in your experience?

I think I'm used to the smallness of PEI and the even smaller community of UPEI. So to me, that’s something that’s always existed. I think for other students coming from other provinces or countries, there are advantages to being a part of a small community. There are various student supports that exist at UPEI and on PEI for students like the George Coles Bursary or the Island Advantage Bursary, and UPEI also offers its share of student employment opportunities along with other scholarships, awards, and bursaries.

Describe your role with UPEI’s Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Office – what kinds of things are you working on?

I’m one of two co-ordinators at the Scholarships, Awards, and Financial Aid Office, or SAFA for short. There are three of us: two co-ordinators and our assistant manager. We look after UPEI's scholarships, awards, and bursaries and other forms of student financial aid. Since I started working at the SAFA office in November 2023, I’ve been organizing Fall Cycle Award applications we receive from students for the selection committee. I’ve done some tiny side projects like working on updating a few separate application forms or environmental scans of other SAFA departments at various universities across Canada. I have answered so many provincial George Coles Bursary related questions that it has been permanently engraved on my brain!

I think my favourite part is when Dalton Hall got really busy in January because then I got to talk to students the most, and I wasn’t just always working in spreadsheets or answering emails or things that required looking at a screen for most of my day. That energy shift in Dalton Hall during that time, was my favourite. I’ve also attended a few staff socials, and those have been nice. A few of us gathered on the Friday before the holiday break and worked on making miniature books and bookshelves. It was a lot of fun. Most of the time, my coworkers and I just put our heads down and work.

And of course, we have our fun too, like trolling our one co-worker who isn’t a fan of Tom Cruise by taping pictures of said actor on her computer. Most days you can hear the three of us laughing from outside of Dalton Hall (not really, but we can be loud). I enjoy it very much.