I’m happy to have been the Life Junior Editor since last summer, but I’m even more proud to announce Youth Are Awesome’s new Life Editor who will be taking up my position. Overcoming Failure: You Can Do It! was Hafsah Syed‘s entry into YAA and since then, she has been known for her articles about self-improvement, poetry and social issues. Through my personal interactions with her, I can say that she’s an insightful, conscientious and compassionate individual. On the other hand, she’s also down-to-earth – she’s the everyday high school student who procrastinates, watches Netflix and worries about her future. An eloquent writer and a driven leader, I have no doubt that she will do a great job in this new position and continue to influence others through her articles.
Getting to Know Hafsah
Hafsah is heading into Grade 12 at Crescent Heights and has ambitions to further her involvement this year. She is the Team Leader for the Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) Club in her school. Their main project is making sandwiches which they deliver to The Alex Center each week and to support this program, they regularly hold fundraisers.
Additionally, she is an active member of her Student Council which works on various projects within and outside of school. In particular, she founded the Syrian Aid Committee which was able to sponsor 10 Syrian refugees in Turkey through an external charity. The initiative went towards providing the refugees with food and the opportunity to send their kids to school.
When asked what her favourite volunteering experience was, her mind went back to Student Council:
We’re always constantly doing something. Whatever we’re doing, we’ve thought of it. It’s not like someone else is in front of the class telling us what to do, who to donate to; we’re the ones really in charge. The thing with Student Council is that there’s like 10 different committees, every committee is doing their own thing – dance, organizing something humanitarian. It always has something to offer.
Her motivation to be involved comes from the fact that she feels privileged. I asked her about the biggest obstacle she’s had to overcome in her life: “Hearing other peoples’ stories, I feel like I haven’t seen any real obstacles. It’s mostly been fighting with myself and figuring out who I am. When you hear about other peoples’ stories, they’ve been through so much – domestic violence, mental issues, stuff like that. Really complicated and intense obstacles. I haven’t been faced with such intensity. Which is part of why I’m pushing myself so much to achieve so much. If I’ve been so privileged, then I should be achieving pretty damn much. I feel like I don’t have an excuse to not do good in whatever I’m doing.”
Main Goal in Life
Hafsah’s passion for social issues and drive for success is also intertwined with what she wants in life. She is thinking of going to the University of Calgary or Mount Royal University. Her first program of choice is nursing while her second choice is psychology. After a trip to her home country of Pakistan, she realized the value of becoming a nurse – the skills can be used to help people everywhere. It was her first real experience in a developing country and it has left a lasting impact on her. She plans to go back to Pakistan when she becomes a nurse or doing social work in another country through Doctors Without Borders.
She that her main goal in life is: “To be financially stable, be happy with what I’m doing and be helping others. Be financially stable – nursing/psychologist. Like what I’m doing – I like biology, actually I love biology. And helping people of course.”
Hafsah and I had actually just finished a volunteering shift for serving lunch at Salvation Army, a homeless shelter. We discussed about the topic of poverty in Pakistan, but I wanted to hear thoughts on the issue of homelessness in Calgary:
“Homelessness is really difficult because there’s not just one, simple solution. If it was so simple, then homelessness would be solved right now. People run away or they face domestic abuse – there’s so many stories. I feel like it’s mostly a result of people not having opportunities. If you look at it, most people don’t have jobs and which is why they’re homeless. And they don’t have jobs because they don’t have the opportunities or the skills. I don’t think that’s something people just with money should get. If you’re rich, then you can an education. I feel like we should create more opportunities for homeless people in Calgary.”
A Tangible Impact
She really emphasized how she wanted to create a tangible impact. Much like the adage of teaching a man to fish and feeding him for life, Hafsah gave this example: “Teaching someone how to sew, that’s so simple – right? They can continue to support themselves throughout their entire life.”
This type of mindset is also reflected in one of Hafsah’s favourite articles that she’s written: Pens, Anyone? | Bringing Waves Of Change And Aid: The First Step. She discusses the story of Abdul Halim al-Attar, a Syrian refugee who was pictured selling pens while carrying his sleeping daughter. The photo sparked sympathy and caught the attention of an online journalist who decided to start an Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the man and his family.
“Donations poured in, and together the world made a whopping $191 000 for them. Since then, al-Attar has opened two bakeries and a kebab shop, in which he employs and supports 16 Syrian refugees. Not only that, but his nine-year-old son has begun attending school after being absent for three years, his daughter has toys to play with now, and they’ve moved from living in a single bedroom to a two bedroom apartment.
All the change in the world begins with you. Similar to the passer-by who photographed al-Attar, similar to the man who started the fundraising campaign, pay attention and heed to events and issues taking place, locally and globally […] Do not turn your head away from those in need; do not ignore their existence. Even if you have no money nor time to spare, turn towards them, flash a smile and say hello; that kind and simple gesture might be exactly the thing they were needing.”
Advice for Writers and about Life
This is just one example of Hafsah’s writing, but pick any article she’s written and it is clear that she is a talented writer. With this said, I wanted to know about her advice to other writers. She explains: “When you feel really strongly about something, don’t suppress your ideas or feelings. Chances are, people are going to love your work. Anyways, you’re not writing for the purpose of seeking other peoples’ approval.”
Her life philosophy is: “Put in as much as effort as you can in anything and everything you do. If you work hard for something, even if you fail, you won’t regret it. But if you fail and you didn’t work hard, then you’ll probably beat yourself up. What’s the point in doing something if you’re not putting in all of your effort?”
In many ways, I see myself in her – in the way that she views the world and her approach to life. Her advice really resonates with me and I think she’s the perfect fit as the new Life Junior Editor. On her end, she’s excited to help lead “such a bright group of people”, as she put it. I look forward to see what she accomplishes in the future. She is a reminder of how Youth Are Awesome.
