Last week, an Oakville teen won the Centre for Canadian Nuclear Sustainability Award at the Canada-Wide Science Fair (CWSF).
Alia Wahban, a student of Hillfield Strathallan College (HSC), an independent school in Hamilton, won the award for her project, "Replacing Natural Gas with Hydrogen Fuel to Power Ontario."
CWSF is Canada's largest annual youth science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) event. Wahban was among the five HSC students participating in the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF) in March 2023.
Besides winning three special awards and a Gold Merit award, she was chosen to represent the region at CWSF in Edmonton, Alberta, held from May 14-19.
Always a high-achieving student, Wahban has been a student at HSC since grade 7. With a high interest in maths and science, she's also a member of the Model UN club (a simulation of the United Nations for students to develop skills of debate, research, empathy, and public speaking) at her school.
She is president of the HOSA local chapter at her school. HOSA Canada runs competitions to "enable secondary and postsecondary students to become leaders in the healthcare industry."
Drawing inspiration from her participation in the Model UN to take action on climate change, Wahban worked on the winning project for almost a year. "Through my research, I discovered the potential of green hydrogen as a clean energy source and how it could address the intermittency of renewable resources," she said.
This year, CWSF had almost 400 students from all over Canada showcasing 340 projects.
"We are so proud of her accomplishment, and this is the first time she participated in this event," a resident of Bronte neighbourhood, Nada Shokry, her mom, shared with Oakville News.
Wahban also loves soccer, squash and reading. "I ensure that she has sufficient time to pursue her diverse interests and help her establish a well-rounded balance between her academic pursuits and athletic commitments," Shokry, a pharmacist, pointed out.
Wahban wants to help people and aspires to pursue a career in science.
"I want to make our world a better place and use my skills and knowledge to foster progress and innovation to drive positive change," she added.