Hamzah Behery wins Jufiyah Rajan Memorial Scholarship

The Department of Biology is proud to announce that Hamzah Behery was awarded the Jufiyah Rajan Memorial Scholarship in Biology.

               I am very grateful and honoured to have received the Jufiyah Rajan Memorial Scholarship and would like to first extend my gratitude to the donors, as well as all my fellow peers, mentors, and staff for making UTM such a wonderful place. When I began my first year of study, I was astonished by all the amazing people that I became acquainted with and quickly realized that the road to the top would require an immense amount of dedication and work. To me, receiving this award gave me confidence in my own abilities as a student while also indicating that anything can be achieved through hard work and persistence. If one does not convince themselves that they are capable of something, they will never go into it with the right mindset to achieve it. With the variety of learning opportunities that UTM offers to its students, I want all my fellow peers reading this to know that you certainly have what it takes to reach your goals, as long as you believe in yourself and keep moving forward at any cost. On that note, no one can deny that the COVID-19 pandemic has created a very demotivating and discouraging atmosphere for students around the world. I was very fortunate to be able to maintain a steady work ethic by constantly surrounding myself with family and reaching out to my friends virtually. Engaging in conversations with others helped me feel much more “alive” and eager to reach new heights. With regards to online learning, while I found some trouble adjusting at the start of the pandemic, one positive outcome was how much more time it gave students. Since there was no need to commute to the UTM campus, my mornings became much more productive and I had more time to organize my notes before joining my next class. Lastly, asynchronous courses made my scheduling very convenient, as I was able to completely focus on studying one course/subject without being required to join a session for the next. Despite these benefits of online learning, I cannot wait for in-person classes to return! Being inside of a lecture hall or lab creates so much energy and motivation; I certainly look forward to meeting all of my peers and professors in person.    

I feel very passionate about contributing to my community by enriching youth, and hope to become a role model for children. Having gone through secondary school, I understand the struggles that some students may face along their journeys, and I believe it is important for them to have mentors that they can refer to during those times. Additionally, I have always found myself to be an individual who is very mathematically inclined and enjoys problem solving. As a result, my interest in enriching others and problem solving has led me to exploring careers in healthcare, as I would be able to significantly help those in need while expressing my creativity when approaching the problems in the medical field. Among others, I am currently looking towards a potential career in pediatrics as it combines my aspirations to support and work with children and my passion for problem solving and healthcare. Hence, another one of my most important goals is to graduate from a medical school in order to pursue a career as a medical professional. On another note, I also hope to conduct research in human behaviour at some point in my undergraduate years. This was a subject that I enjoyed studying after completing the PSY100 course and am excited to learn more about in the future. The BIO152/BIO153 courses also played a role in developing my research interests; more specifically, I have gained a further appreciation for the scientific study of animals and would be interested in pursuing research opportunities in this area. In working towards my goals, it is important for me to always strive for self-growth and improvement. Mistakes and failures are inevitable along the way; however, I believe that it is important to view our failures as learning opportunities.

Congratulations, Hamzah! We are looking forward to see what you will accomplish in your undergrad!