For Beedie Luminary Hadil Al Fares, achieving her dream of becoming a doctor has always been the main goal. In pursuit of this goal, she has started her Food Nutrition & Health program at the University of British Columbia and eagerly looks forward to the journey ahead. Read more below.
What program will you be taking in post-secondary and why does it interest you?
I will be enrolled in Bachelor of Science in Food Nutrition and Health, because it would be the path for me to go to Medical school.
Tell us a little bit about your background (growing up, going to school, extra-curricular activities, etc.).
I was born and raised in Dara, Syria. After the war started in my country, for me and siblings my parents left to Jordan. Life in Jordan was hard. After 3 years, my family made it to Canada. I started at Sir Charles Tupper Secondary school with no English in Grade 10, after two years of hard work I graduated with a family I made at Tupper and got my admission to UBC.
I did a lot of activities after school that helped me to learn English, developed my communication skills, and helped me to build the confidence I lost while living in war in my home country and living in Jordan. Leaving my home country, living in Jordan and coming to Canada had big contributions on who I am today.
Who inspires you, and why?
My biggest inspiration is my mother. She is a strong woman who was the first in her family to go to university and completed her degree. She has been always the most powerful woman I have seen in my life when it comes to facing challenges. Despite all the challenges of losing her job and her loved ones, my mom had always appeared the strongest to give me and my siblings the strengths. She inspires me to be the best version of myself. Furthermore, she has always been here to support me and my siblings and turn the pain we have from past experiences into power to help us throughout our lives and I am forever grateful for her being in my life.
What motivates you, and why?
In 2013, when my parents left Syria, they left everything behind for me and my siblings to achieve our dreams. While living in Jordan my parents found out that Jordan wasn’t the right place for us. Our chances of achieving our dreams were limited. Syrians weren’t allowed to dream, they weren’t allowed to be doctors and all I wanted was to be a doctor. In 2016, my parents also left their relatives for us to pursue our dreams somewhere else. Overall, because of all what my parents done to me my biggest motivations is to make them proud and to prove to them that it was worth it leaving everything behind and coming here.
What are your goals for the upcoming school year?
My goals for the upcoming year would be doing my best to get high marks that satisfying requirement to transfer to Biochemistry in my second year.
What is one thing you learned in high school that you will take with you to post-secondary?
One of the most important things I learned in high school is that every morning is a new chance for a bigger success. Getting a low mark isn’t the end of the world, so enjoy your journey.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to future Luminaries?
Follow your dreams and do whatever it takes to achieve them. It is your life, don’t spend it in meeting others expectations or in proving yourself to others.
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