Five Dentistry students receive leadership award
By Rachel Boutet
Five Dentistry students – Riya George, Jade Goodman, Pegi Kaimi, Matthew-Mina Reyad and Mina Vaez – were recent recipients of the University of Toronto’s prestigious Student Leadership Award (formerly the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award). This award recognizes outstanding student leadership and volunteer service at U of T.
What are you most proud of, as a recipient of this award?
George: Educating U of T students about noma and advocating for public awareness about the disease.
Goodman: Advocating for the field of Dentistry in the hospital setting through my research, policy, and volunteering roles.
Kaimi: Supporting the Faculty through my interactions with the Advancement Office. It’s been a pleasure helping out at different events and connecting with alumni in the field to help advance the dental program at U of T.
Reyad: Advocating for positive change and improving the student experience through my roles as President (Class of 2024) and Vice President of Academics (Dental Students' Society) in my fourth year, and Academic Representative in the first three years of the program.
Vaez: My contribution to enhancing the student experience at U of T, having led and coordinated events that fostered personal growth, facilitated networking, and nurtured a sense of community cohesion among graduate students.
How did you find time for leadership and volunteerism with your busy school schedule?
George: Juggling schoolwork with extracurriculars can be challenging at times. I would say it was my passion for making a difference in school and the community that fueled my drive to keep going. When you work alongside incredibly dedicated colleagues towards a common goal that everyone cares deeply about, you naturally find ways to prioritize what’s important. Find something you love doing and you can and will find time for it. Plus, you’ll have way more fun along the way! Achieving work-life balance is a journey and it’s okay to not master it immediately. Keep making efforts to find a balance that works for you.
Goodman: My life goal has been to become a good person, and a good healthcare professional. I strongly believe that extracurricular activities are not separate from the education and training of students. Rather, these have a huge impact on developing future practitioners to their full capacity, given dentists’ roles as leaders in their social and professional communities. This mindset guided me to select projects and mentors in hospital dentistry that resonated with my authentic self. Volunteering became a source of joy and grounding throughout my dental school journey. I experienced immense gratitude and pride while serving and learning from the hospital dentistry community. I consistently found that my engagement with the hospital community enriched various aspects of my life, providing deeper meaning to my roles as a daughter, student, team player, and aspiring dentist. I became a curious, patient-oriented, and collaborative dental student because of my involvement.
Kaimi: Although dental school is notoriously busy, I’ve learned to efficiently manage my time by completing assignments in advance so that I have more time to volunteer and get involved with the school. I like being busy and as such, I chose to dedicate my time by getting involved with the DSS and participating in research activities at the Faculty and beyond. For me, it is much more rewarding to be active in the community during my spare time, even if it means devoting less time to my hobbies. Throughout these past four years, I have learned how important it is to achieve a healthy work-life balance to avoid burnout and be my best self.
Reyad: With a demanding school schedule, finding time for leadership and volunteering required careful planning, prioritization, and a commitment to making a positive impact outside the classroom. Firstly, I recognized the importance of aligning my passions with my extracurricular involvement. I focused on roles that resonated with my interests, which made the experiences more fulfilling and provided me with the motivation to maintain my commitments. Additionally, effective time management also became a crucial skill. I learned to prioritize tasks and allocate time more efficiently, ensuring that my leadership and volunteer activities were better incorporated into my busy schedule. Finally, I recognized the importance of teamwork and delegation. I collaborated with peers for support and distributed responsibilities to ensure shared success. This lightened my workload while fostering a sense of community at the faculty. Ultimately, the key to balancing leadership and volunteering with our rigorous academic program required passion-driven prioritization, strategic time management, and collaborative efforts. These experiences generated a positive impact on a student and faculty-wide level while simultaneously enriching my education. Furthermore, it provided a sense of fulfillment that motivated me as I completed the dentistry program.
Vaez: Integrating leadership and volunteer commitments alongside the demands of research and coursework is a challenge. Despite this, my intrinsic passion for helping others has been a driving force. Regardless of how hectic my schedule may be, I can and will prioritize time for activities I find it fulfilling. Maintaining a balanced lifestyle is paramount to me, as it not only enhances my well-being but also allows me to contribute meaningfully to the community and causes that resonate with my values.
Why was it important for you to be involved in extracurricular activities?
George: Some words of wisdom I got early on was that ‘your dental school experience is what you make of it’. You don’t really remember the nights you spent studying for an oral pathology exam or a gross anatomy bell ringer. But, you do remember the moments shared with friends at events and the meaningful impact you’ve made in your community. Be brave and actively pursue all the opportunities that capture your interest. You will be pleasantly surprised by the lifelong memories that you will create!
Goodman: Being involved in extracurricular activities has always been a part of my life. Wherever I've lived, I've actively sought opportunities to build, participate in, and contribute to communities, reflecting the values instilled in me from an early age. My Dad, who exemplifies kindness and goodness, fell ill during my dental studies, served as both my initial inspiration to pursue dentistry and a continued source of motivation as I now dedicate my time to research and volunteer in hospital dentistry. Driven by the challenges my family faced, I became deeply committed to exploring ways to manage, treat, and advocate for medically complex patients in dental settings. Engaging in extracurricular activities has broadened my educational experience beyond the classroom and clinical settings, equipping me with invaluable skills and insights to enhance service delivery. As I transition into my role as a GPR resident, I am deeply honoured to represent U of T. I hope to mentor future dental professionals in the field of hospital dentistry.
Kaimi: As a student who commuted all four years of undergrad, I felt that I missed out on becoming a part of the overall student community at McMaster. As such, one of the main reasons I chose to come to U of T was to be close to my family while still having the opportunity to get involved and be at the forefront of student life at the Faculty. I enjoy building connections with people from various walks of life, which is what has led me to pursue various extracurricular activities. Looking back, I can say that it has been the experiences that I’ve had this past four years that have shaped me into a very resilient, persistent, and confident individual always seeking to better myself and the community.
Reyad: During my undergraduate degree at U of T, I noticed that some aspects of the student experience could be improved, but there were limited opportunities to create change on a school-wide level. However, at the Faculty of Dentistry, students were provided with the platform to contribute to shaping the program and share ideas to drive change. When I heard about these positions, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to become involved. As President (Class of 2024), Vice President of Academics, and previously Academic Representative, I advocated for the well-being of my peers. I served as a mediator between students and faculty, actively listening to concerns and working with professors to modify didactic schedules and resolve issues to improve student mental health. I collaborated with faculty to review and develop the current and future educational components of the program. Recognizing the value of mentorship, I dedicated time to training students in other class council positions and guiding pre-dental students through my other roles. I also volunteered internationally through dental outreach trips to Bolivia and Uganda. These contributions improved the student experience and/or led to personal character development, motivating me to be routinely involved in extracurricular activities within and outside campus.
Vaez: During my journey at U of T, active engagement in extracurricular activities has been integral to my personal and academic development. Taking on diverse leadership roles, I endeavored to foster community cohesion and individual growth. Through organizing events, I aimed to enhance students experience, create networking opportunities, and advocate for health and wellness, all the while honing my organizational and cross-functional skills. Amidst the rigors of graduate studies, I recognized the importance of prioritizing mental health and cultivating meaningful connections. Each role I undertook contributed to the vibrancy of the U of T community, fostering collaboration and empowering comprehensive growth for all participants.
Top photo: Riya George, Mina Vaez, Jade Goodman, Pegi Kaimi, and Matthew-Mina Reyad