荔枝视频

Little did pre-teen Sheliza Kassam know, some rogue ingredients in her birthday cake would change the way she looks at the world.

The daughter of African immigrants was looking forward to her 12^th birthday party, found herself being hospitalized after having a severe allergic reaction to nuts in the cake.

Many kids would fret about a ruined birthday, but Kassam鈥檚 parents reminded her that she was lucky just to have a party; many kids her age around the world don鈥檛 have that luxury.

This inspired her to start a new birthday tradition: volunteering at a 荔枝视频 shelter on her birthday. She continued to making volunteering a priority even while working hard toward her undergraduate at the 荔枝视频鈥檚 , and has kept at it since graduating five years ago.

And now her efforts have seen her honoured with the by Engineers Canada.

鈥淎s engineers, we aren鈥檛 always told to volunteer as we need to focus on our technical work,鈥� says Kassam, BSc (Eng)鈥�20. 鈥淏ut what people don鈥檛 realize is that when we become leaders in our community, we actually become great engineers.鈥�

Finding her passion

Kassam created (CBM) at the age of 16, initially providing birthday parties and gifts for kids living in shelters before expanding to include families involved with Kids Cancer Care 荔枝视频.

All the while, Kassam chased her educational aspirations, which included mathematics and accounting.

After attending , an annual summer enrichment program for high-achieving high school students, and learning about engineering, she decided to change direction, which led her to Schulich.

鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know too much about the occupation since my family didn鈥檛 have any engineers at the time,鈥� Kassam says. 鈥淚 struggled to keep focus in my accounting classes and, when I saw students building machines and solving complex problems, that鈥檚 when I knew that I was in the wrong profession, and I wanted to be an engineer.鈥�

Taking kids parties global

Now a professional chemical engineering with Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Kassam鈥檚 commitment to the community continued after she left U荔枝视频.

She serves on the board of the 荔枝视频 Engineering Endowment Fund, and frequently mentors students at her alma mater as well as being an active member of .

But, never forgetting her original inspiration, Kassam also created , a program allowing children to donate their birthday presents to support CBM鈥檚 work. The U荔枝视频 Students Union club also partners with CBM.

鈥淚 love seeing the impact of my work in the community,鈥� Kassam says. 鈥淪pecifically, I enjoy speaking to the individuals we impact as meeting them truly inspires me to continue the work that I do.鈥�

Kassam and her volunteer team have now hosted more than 350 parties around the world including in Africa and Peru.

She gives credit to those around her for the accolades and awards she continues to receive.

鈥淚t is such an honour to share these with my peers and company, Pembina, because it meant all my hard work wasn鈥檛 for nothing,鈥� Kassam says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been challenging 鈥� balancing my charity with my field operations-engineering role 鈥� but it鈥檚 all possible with the amazing support from volunteers, co-workers and my family.鈥�

Kassam and the other Engineers Canada Award recipients were honoured during a in Vancouver, B.C.