Supported by alumni class gifts, four of this year’s award winners reveal their personal formula for success.
By Christine Ward
If you think you know what it means to be an engineer, think again.
That’s the message from four accomplished U of T Engineering students, who were recognized for their academic and extracurricular accomplishments at the Engineering Student Awards virtual event, held March 10, 2021.
More than 60 alumni and guests attended the event from around the world. In addition to thanking the generous alumni donors who made their awards possible, the recipients shared their experiences from the past few years.
“I arrived at U of T unsure if I would fit in,” says Emma Belhadfa (Year 4 EngSci). “I had all these preconceptions of what it meant to be an engineer and I’d often find myself questioning whether I fit into that mold that I had in my mind.”
Now in the final year of her Engineering Science Aerospace degree, she recognizes that engineering isn’t a formula. “Engineering is what you make it,” she says. In her experience that means a dedication to community, specifically the Engineering Society community where she serves as project director for community outreach.
September 2020 of Emma and her EngSoc’s Skule Community Outreach group members engaged in their Lake Ontario Shoreline Cleanup event. Photo taken by Skule Photography members Yixin Tian and Jinbo Yu.
Third-year chemical engineering student Stephanie Obeta (Year 2 Chemical) is also blazing her own trail to engineering practice.
Presented the 5T3 (1953) Engineering Award for character and leadership within U of T and the community at large, she has made it her mission to foster new pathways for Black engineering students, serving as an executive member of the U of T chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers among many other commitments.
“In accepting this award, I hope that we can create a shift in the way that people view the engineering profession and normalize the idea that engineers don’t have to fit any sort of description or idea to belong in academic or professional spaces,” she says.
As a woman of Afghan background studying in a male-dominated field, Hasma Habibiy (Year 2 Mechanical) has also struggled to find female role models to emulate.
The second-year mechanical engineering student took on the Engineering Society role of equity and inclusivity director to advocate for underrepresented students and “show women everywhere that they can do it, no matter what their circumstances. You can really achieve anything you put your mind to,” she says.
Habibiy was presented the Class of 5T0 Engineering Leadership Award for her academic achievements and efforts to inspire and motivate others.
As she prepares to receive her U of T civil engineering degree this spring, Stephanie Marton (Year 4 Civil) has a clear idea of the kind of engineer she wants to be — and she’s honoured to receive the Class of 3T5’s Second Mile Award to help jumpstart her journey.
Since 2019, Marton has worked as an engineering assistant at Mattamy Homes, while also volunteering as the president of U of T’s Engineers Without Borders chapter and launching a local initiative to alleviate poverty and make Toronto more sustainable. Her continuing goal is to support the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations.
“My hope is not to just give back to the community that welcomed and empowered me,” she says, “but also to find a way to empower others to make a difference and be the future changemakers of tomorrow.”
Thank you to all the alumni donors who made these awards possible. To learn how you can help U of T Engineering students succeed with a class award, contact Kristin Philpot, Associate Director of Development, at kristin.philpot@utoronto.ca