Two students from the Life Sciences program finished their undergraduate studies with one of the highest honours from McMaster University: the President’s Award.

Sebat Mohamed and Ushma Purohit earned the prestigious prize for demonstrating excellence in leadership and for their outstanding contributions to the McMaster community. The students were nominated for the award by faculty in the School of Interdisciplinary Science.

“To be on the list of people who have received this award is amazing,” says Ushma, who heard she had won while volunteering for the Hamilton branch of the Canadian Mental Health Association. “There are no words.”

In addition to earning excellent grades during her time in SIS, Ushma was busy volunteering in the community. She founded the first Canadian chapter of “She’s the First,” a club that supports girls who will be the first in their families to graduate from high school. This experience, along with volunteer work for UNICEF and other organizations, helped her realize her passion for global health.

Ushma will start medical school at the University of Toronto in September. Ultimately, she plans to put her education to use improving health policy around the world. She credits the Life Sciences program for exposing her to the many opportunities in science and health. “It allowed me to explore and move to where my strengths are,” she says.

Sebat was inspired to take on a leadership role at McMaster the moment she set foot on the campus. “The Welcome Week reps made me feel at home in a new city,” she says. “I knew I wanted to become one myself.”

And she did, but she didn’t stop there. Sebat joined the Black Outreach Leadership Directive and the McMaster chapter of Black Aspiring Physicians, which aim to increase the representation of black students at universities and medical schools. She also co-founded the McMaster People Project, an initiative dedicated to diversifying governing bodies at McMaster and beyond. “I want to help build black leaders in health care — to make a change and have an impact,” she says.

Sebat also received the Emerging Health Leaders Exceptional Leader Scholarship, which recognizes leadership contributions to McMaster and beyond. “Surrounding myself by people who are passionate about the same things as me made me really want to give back to the school and the community,” she says.

Congratulations, Sebat and Ushma!