Ayca H.

Ayca graduated from Western Canada High School in Calgary, AB. While there, she served as a Volunteer Coordinator for Interact Club where she established volunteering opportunities with local organizations and non-profits that resulted in 2500+ collective volunteer hours. As a Students’ Council member, she led and organized numerous spirit and philanthropy events and served on the morning announcements team. She was also named a Loran Award Finalist (top 2% in Canada) based on character, service, and leadership. She got to meet incredible youth leaders from across Canada.

Ayca chose UCalgary for the vast research opportunities, the many study-abroad programs, and the unique BComm/Engineering double degree that is offered.

Ayca is enrolled in a dual Bachelor of Science – Engineering & Bachelor of Commerce degree. She chose this program because of her interest in both STEM and business. Ayca loved STEM classes in high school but felt she also had a business personality with an interest in entrepreneurship.

Ayca hopes to use her background in engineering and business in whichever future career she may have. She wants to manage many projects, be part of an innovative team, and eventually start a business highlighting the intersection of both fields.

For Ayca, the Prestige Award has allowed her to partake in the residence life at UCalgary, and motivated her to focus on her studies, while also opening new doors of opportunity to do programs and exchanges abroad which she has always hoped for.

Ayca is excited to be in a place with such robust research facilities and incredible professors to learn from. She’s excited to try her hand at experimental and engineering research in chemistry and biomedicine. She is also excited to learn more about coding and applied physics in class.

Ayca would like to take this opportunity to thank her parents for always pushing her to do her best, her twin sister for being by her side through it all, and her amazing teachers. She will be forever grateful to Richard and Lois Haskayne for providing her with this incredible opportunity.