“I gained communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills [during co-op]. I never had experience working with customers, and was really shy to talk to them and meeting people. ”

The Faculty of Engineering is the most diverse faculty at McMaster University. Find out why Amy Chow, a Biotechnology student from Barbados, made the decision to call it home. Anyone who remembers what it’s like to be in high school can sympathize with the agony of having to decide what to do next, and where. For students who are considering pursuing their post-secondary degree overseas, the decisions are magnified. How does it feel to be so far away from your support system at such a young age, and in a new culture? Is it exciting? Overwhelming? For fourth-year Biotechnology student Amy Chow, it was both. The Barbados native began boarding school in St. Catharines, ON, when she was just 16-years-old, and had friends from home nearby. That helped her feel “a little less homesick” in her transition from high school to McMaster University, but the feelings of apprehension were still alive, especially during Welcome Week. But Chow wanted a challenge. Having slept in during one of the mornings of Welcome Week, Chow was running late for one of the most anticipated events of the week. Someone grabbed her hand and ran her across a football field so she could make it on time. She doesn’t know who they were; the furry mascot costume enveloping them made it hard to tell. Amy Chow The moment likely escaped the minds of onlookers shortly after the event, but for Chow, it was the turning point that allowed her to relax — she made the right decision. She hasn’t looked back since. Poised to graduate in December, Chow completed four months of a co-op term in Barbados, where she worked at a microbiology and chemical company. The co-op allowed her to gain experience carrying out quality control procedures for restaurants by testing food and beverages for bacteria such as salmonella, E. coli and listeria. “I gained communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills,” says Chow. “I never had experience working with customers, and was really shy to talk to them and meeting people. But it was different; a new experience. Co-op was my first real job experience, and it was really cool.” She also pursued eight months of co-op as a research assistant in Burlington, ON, and says that the courses she took in microbiology helped her understand more about bacteria-causing diseases and how to identify various strands of bacteria. Chow’s love of research is what initially attracted her to McMaster Engineering and says that the Biotechnology program helped prepare her to work towards creating solutions for real-world problems. Chow says that one of the best things about her co-op terms, which were “equally invigorating,” was having the ability to experience the best of both worlds in microbiology and chemistry. The skills she gained and memories she made from co-op are just some of the accomplishments that made Chow’s decision to study at McMaster Engineering worth the challenges that came along with being an international student. Her advice to incoming international students is to make the effort to meet new people, because “they become your family.” Coming to Canada at a young age wasn’t easy for Chow, but the sense of achievement now that she’s close to graduation and the family of friends she’s built makes jumping over hurdles worth it. Like most graduating students, Chow doesn’t know exactly what her plan is once she leaves McMaster, but says that one thing is clear: she wants to remain in Canada. “I love Canada,” says Chow. “My favourite part of Canada is the spring and the smell of fresh air.”

“Canada connected with me because most of the companies here have a good work-life balance. It was a crucial reason that made me realize that this is somewhere I could build my career and future.”

Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Engineering I student Sana, an Indian citizen from the United Arab Emirates, was one of them. Lively. Energetic. Busy. These are the words 19-year-old Sana uses to describe her hometown of Dubai, but she may as well be describing herself. Growing up in the heart of the United Arab Emirates, Sana, an Indian citizen, had plenty of reasons to stay. Close-knit with her family (especially her younger sister, who attached herself to Sana’s leg at the airport until it was time to say goodbye), having a large circle of friends and family to spend time with, and a warm climate is most people’s definition of the ideal life. Sana with family. But Sana was never interested in going along with what was comfortable. “I knew I wanted to be an engineer, and I was always interested in living in Canada,” says Sana. “It didn’t matter that I’d never been before; I just knew.” Despite being halfway around the world from home, McMaster University was a familiar name in Sana’s circle of friends at school and in her family. Four members of her graduating class in Dubai also came to McMaster, and when her dad’s friends learned it was her top choice, they had plenty of positive things to say: they were alumni. Both inside and outside of the classroom, Sana is eager to learn and explore. One of her favourite things about McMaster is the proximity to downtown Hamilton, which is “full of things to do, but not overwhelming,” It is different from home, but with hints of familiarity —diverse, growing and chock-full of stunning architecture, she says. One of her favourite things to do is wander around Westdale, a thriving district steps away from campus with shops, cafés, and most importantly to Sana, restaurants. “It has some really cute restaurants,” says Sana. “Food is very important to me and there’s a lot of variety in Hamilton.” When she isn’t immersed in homework or in a meal with friends, Sana takes advantage of the natural beauty Hamilton has to offer. Cascading waterfalls, parks with peaks that overlook the sprawling city and Cootes Paradise, a marsh owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens, are just a handful of sights she enjoys. Sana Syed. “I also love dancing,” says Sana. “Right now, I’m learning salsa.” As she nears her completion of Engineering 1, Sana hopes to pursue either Computer or Electrical Engineering, but if not knowing for sure bothers her, it doesn’t show. “Things have a way of working out,” says Sana, “if you work hard.”

“Even though I’m an international student, I feel like everyone around me is the same in a welcoming and nonjudgmental way. Everyone comes from different places and embraces that.”

Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Engineering I student Fabiola Gonzales Rios from Villahermosa, Mexico, was one of them. When now-19-year old Fabiola Gonzales Rios came to Canada, she brought a lot of things with her from her hometown of Villahermosa, the capital city of the state of Tabasco, Mexico. But one thing was more important than the rest. “A sense of pride of where you come from,” says Gonzalez Rios. The tropical, oil-rich city where she grew up is a contrast of emerald greens, azure and multi-coloured buildings — some of which sell what she considers a delicacy: spicy candy. “Mexican candy is the best,” says Gonzales Rios. “My friends don’t like it, but I make them eat it because it’s funny to watch them.” Fabiola Gonzales Rios. At 15, Gonzales Rios’ parents enrolled her at a boarding school in Oakville, a city tucked in between Hamilton and Toronto, so their daughter could improve her English and have access to more opportunities. Studying engineering was never a question, but where to study it was, until she visited McMaster University in Grade 11. What she loved most about the university was the welcoming community that made her feel at home in Canada in the first place. “Even though I’m an international student, I feel like everyone around me is the same in a welcoming and nonjudgmental way,” says Gonzales Rios. “Everyone comes from different places and embraces that." While doing research on the Internet, she says she was impressed by the Faculty of Engineering’s consistent top rankings and intrigued by the emphasis on the collaborative approach to learning rather than competing against classmates. When she visited campus, she saw that what she had read online was true. “I knew I wanted support with my academics and outside of that,” says Gonzales Rios. “Engineering at McMaster was the friendliest and had a sense of family; I wanted that community.” It’s unsurprising that community was so important to Gonzales Rios; she’s still close with her friends and family in Mexico, but also appreciates that the distance has allowed her to become more independent. Fabiola Gonzales Rios. “It’s been a great opportunity for growth in terms of my ability to go about my life without my parents and meet people and start doing things that no one else encourages me to do,” she says. “That’s helped me develop my sense of self.” When the Engineering 1 student isn’t busy with homework, family or friends, she spends her time as being part of Engineers Without Borders, painting and reading. Her favourite thing to read right now? “Autobiographies and self-help — I can’t get enough of them.”

“I chose McMaster University because there’s a lot of nature, a lot of clubs and societies, and most importantly, there’s support. I chose Canada because of its reputation and openness worldwide.”

Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Electrical engineering student Shaun Lee, from Kuching, Malaysia, was one of them. You might not think two cities that are nearly 15,000 km apart have much in common, but according to Shaun Lee, you’d be surprised. The 19-year-old from Kuching, Malaysia, describes his hometown as “laid-back, like Canada,” and full of nature, which played a major role in figuring out where he wanted to pursue his academic career. He also had a chance to visit the country when he attended his older brother’s university graduation ceremony, who also studied Engineering. “I chose McMaster University because there’s a lot of nature, a lot of clubs and societies, and most importantly, there’s support,” says Lee. “I chose Canada because of its reputation and openness worldwide. It reminds me of home in the sense that it’s open and friendlier than most [countries].” Shaun Lee and brother. But his absolute favourite thing about Canada? “The choices of food, especially poutine.” Poutine, a dish originating from Québec that has become an icon in Canadian cuisine, consists of French fries, cheese curds and gravy, but other toppings can be included if you’re feeling creative. The Engineering 1 student says finding a core group of friends also helped him feel more comfortable in a foreign country, but that building a relationship with the most important person in your life is also crucial to not just adapting, but thriving. That person, Lee says, is yourself. “Having a group of good friends is important,” says Lee, “but you also have to find yourself and what you truly want out of your university experience… You have to grow individually as a person.” Shaun Lee. Lee says that first-year university students should consider their first semester as a “tryout” when meeting new people, and that mingling with various social cliques and groups helped him have a better sense of who he wanted to share his university experience with. When Lee isn’t spending time with friends, in class or studying at the library, he takes advantage of everything campus has to offer. One of his favourite places to go when he needs to clear his mind is Cootes Paradise, a popular marsh on campus owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens, where he goes for nature walks. He’s also part of the Solar Car Project, an undergraduate student initiative that builds and races electric vehicles powered by the sun, and enjoys working out at the gym, using the free rock climbing wall at McMaster Recreationand doing martial arts, especially Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. “There’s a lot of facilities at McMaster,” says Lee. “There really is something for everyone.”

“Work hard and never be shy. Apply yourself and take initiative. Good things happen when you take initiative. I’ve met amazing people at Mac... People are generally friendly, helpful and supportive. ”

The Faculty of Engineering is the most diverse faculty at McMaster University. Find out why Mrinal Tiwari, a Software Engineering student from Lucknow, India, made the decision to call it home. In a country on the opposite side of the world, a high school student sat in front of the glow of his computer screen, looking for a place to call home. At the suggestion of his older brother, Mrinal Tiwari typed McMaster University into Google from his bedroom in Lucknow, a city in northern India with a population similar to Toronto. McMaster’s reputation for being a research-intensive university caught his eye, and felt even more promising by having a flexible co-op work option for students to gain real-world experience in industry. With 61 years of engineering excellence, McMaster is located in the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario, a central hub of innovation. Known for its welcoming nature, diversity and inclusivity, McMaster seemed like the perfect place for Tiwari. Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international. Tiwari enrolled in Software Engineering with his sights set on co-op, and immersed himself in the McMaster community almost immediately. Despite feeling like his English wasn’t as good as he hoped, Tiwari dived headfirst into experiential experiences and learning opportunities at McMaster. He became a promotional executive for the McMaster Indian Association, using social media acumen and in-person marketing strategies to lead the association in receiving more funding. Subsequently, Tiwari also led volunteers as a team lead for the Student Welcome Program and acted as a mentor for both international students and those in the McMaster Outreach Program. These roles allowed Tiwari to connect students to resources, help them strategize and hone their study habits and provide them with advice to help make the transition from high school to university as smooth as possible. As one experience so often leads to another, his mentorships helped him secure research assistantships in the Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Department of Maths and Statistics, where he worked extensively with analyzing data and graphs. Though Tiwari is only in second year, he has also served as a teaching assistant in multiple math and physics courses, which has improved his English, interpersonal and leadership skills. “I was shy at first,” says Tiwari, “but quickly realized that there was no need to be shy. I was drawn to participating in things outside of class. It was a kick-start for my career. I also got little supervision and I had to figure out the bulk of research all on my own. It was something that I had to take my own initiative and could not rely on supervision for.” Last year, more than 1,700 students participated in more than 2,700 4-month co-op work terms across the globe. This summer, Tiwari will do the same. At Fibics Incorporated in Ottawa, Tiwari will have the chance to apply his classroom learnings to his first ‘real-world’ job as a junior software developer. Fibics Incorporated has a mandate of developing applications of Focused Ion Beam (FIB) microscopy in the fields of Metallurgy and Materials Science. “I’m really looking forward to taking initiative and being part of a high-functioning team that follows agile methodology,” he says. “I like it when people say, ‘I don’t know how to do this,’ or, ‘I’m scared.’ I like when people are not shy about asking for help. I would encourage anyone who’s looking for answers to just ask questions.” Tiwari’s love for the McMaster community is more than just a feeling. He puts his love into action by giving back and creating positive change, both on and off campus. Last spring, he attended a Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) meeting and decided to run for the role of undergraduate officer. He was elected and is now currently serving a second term. In this role, he speaks to and liaises with teaching assistants, and helps to process grievances that may arise. When his co-op term in Ottawa ends this summer, he plans to develop ideas to create his own start-up after graduating from McMaster. His ultimate goal is to develop his own apps and build something from the ground up that can flourish. He plans on making it happen by following his own advice. “Work hard and never be shy,” says Tiwari. “Apply yourself and take initiative. Good things happen when you take initiative.” As someone with the drive to succeed, experience as much as he can and still make contributions towards a brighter world, Tiwari shows no signs of slowing down “I’ve met amazing people at Mac and I want to continue helping people,” says Tiwari. “People are generally friendly, helpful and supportive. You never know when somebody will help you back.”

“My favourite thing about McMaster is definitely the community. I feel part of it and that everyone around me is there for me. I can go up to someone random, ask for help and they wouldn’t reject me.”

Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Engineering I student Kareem Elmokattaf, an Egyptian citizen from Saudi Arabia, was one of them. If you ask Kareem Elmokattaf what he’s passionate about, don’t expect a short answer. The 18-year-old Egyptian citizen from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia’s capital, loves math more than almost anything. He also spends as much spare time as he can with friends and socializing at events. Swimming? He tries to make time for it every day. In other words, Elmokattaf is a lot like his peers at McMaster University who aren’t afraid to get involved and pursue their passions inside and outside of the classroom. The Engineering 1 student hopes to pursue Mechatronics, which can be found in the most unexpected places, including the pool where he swims (pace clocks, waterproof clocks and performance tracking devices are just a few swimming-related products mechatronic engineers can work on). Elmokattaf also makes time to be part of the Solar Car Project, an undergraduate student initiative that builds and races electric vehicles powered by the sun, driven by the goal of sustainable technology. He says he always wanted to go to a university that would help get him out of his comfort zone, and was sold on McMaster after attending a university fair in Riyadh, where local alumni spoke about their experiences. After arriving on campus, it didn’t take him long to feel at home. “My favourite thing about McMaster is definitely the community,” says Elmokattaf. “I feel part of it and that everyone around me is there for me. I can go up to someone random, ask for help and they wouldn’t reject me, or would lead me to someone who could help. Being part of this community is amazing.” When Elmokattaf first made the move to Canada, he says he worried about figuring out the logistics of living in a foreign country, such as setting up a bank account and getting a police check for work. The kindness of perfect strangers made getting settled easier than he anticipated, something he says is “very Canadian.” “No one would look at me different and people would accept me into their friend groups and family,” says Elmokattaf. “People would just talk to me for the sake of it. It was really cool to have people I could just talk to and open up to on a regular basis and share experiences with them.” Having a busy schedule and a multitude of hobbies can make it difficult not to get overwhelmed, but Elmokattaf has found the perfect solution. “I love going to the waterfalls,” says Elmokattaf. “I like sitting there and taking in the nature. It gets me in the zone.

“Getting to know people at McMaster is easy ... People are willing to share notes and lend a helping hand when you need it.”

Last year, 15 percent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Biotechnology student Oluwatosin Odubanjo from Ogun, Nigeria, was one of them. Third-year biotechnology student Oluwatsoin Odubanjo realized when she arrived at her co-op that there would be a lot of opportunity for critical thinking, creativity, and independence, with plenty of room for growth and discovery thrown into the mix for a unique first co-op experience. Enhancing the academic knowledge of students and providing opportunity to apply their learning is a focus of the Engineering Co-op Program at McMaster University, and Odubanjo took full advantage of the four months she spent at Vanwyn Incorporated, a startup located at McMaster Innovation Park. While the planning, logistics, research that went into building a particular part of the focus project that summer taught Odubanjo the value of taking initiative and of thinking “outside the box,” the co-op experience provided her with an opportunity to discover something she considers even more important. “It gave me a chance to take a good look at what life is like after graduation and realize to bring something to life, you need to use your creativity," says Odubanjo. "My creativity at my co-op was greatly put into play." She realized that life after graduation from McMaster would mean taking what she learned in the classroom and applying it to real world issues, and that in order to be successful at the co-op, she needed to put in the extra hours as well. “In that sense, co-op made me career-ready. It gave me a glimpse of what it’s going to be like once school is over.” Odubanjo admits that co-op seemed daunting at the beginning, given her supervisors allowed her to be very hands-on and develop her sense of learning through independent discovery. There was no one-on-one supervision, which Odubanjo appreciates, because it gave her the chance to develop her sense of independence through trial-and-error. Her discovery of what worked and what didn’t for the project she was developing—an antenna for a geostationary satellite that could carry loads from earth to space—was due to her own curiosity and persistence. “Persistence was key," says Odubanjo. "And patience." Odubanjo’s passion for the Biotechnology program is balanced by her involvement in extra-curricular activities, including the McMaster Debate Team and the McMaster African Association of Students. Her circle of friends from the lab widened when she joined these extra-curriculars, but Odubanjo has never found it a challenge at McMaster to make friends. “Getting to know people at McMaster is easy,” she says. “People are willing to share notes and lend a helping hand when you need it.”

“McMaster University has a really welcoming atmosphere. People here help each other. We get to know each other. Find out what you want to do and take the initiative to find opportunities for yourself.”

Last year, 15 per cent of approximately 4,800 undergraduate students in the Faculty of Engineering were international, coming from nearly 60 countries. Mia Zhuang, a Chemical Engineering student from Taiyuan, China, was one of them. Mia Zhuang’s first Welcome Week at McMaster University — full of high energy, bright colours, as well as new, unfamiliar faces — helped her feel immediately at home, even across the world and far from her hometown of Taiyuan, China. The welcoming acts of kindness that the fourth-year Chemical Engineering student experienced when she first arrived in Hamilton impacted the then-16-year-old in more ways than one. “The help I received just lit up my day and has always been a shining part of my memory that makes me fall in love and feel proud of my faculty and the university as a whole,” says Zhuang. “I want to do the same thing for others and make them feel the same way about the faculty I love. I hope even just the smallest things can make a difference.” Mia Zhuang. She decided to return to Welcome Week for the next three years as a member of “Red Suits” — an orientation committee made up of upper-year Engineering students who plan and welcome first-year students to campus each Fall. Known for donning red coveralls during that week to distinguish themselves across campus, the “Red Suits” team has helped Zhuang form friendships over the years with students who live both on and off-campus. “Finding and creating opportunity happens easily at McMaster if you take initiative,” says Zhuang. “There’s something at McMaster for everyone.” Zhuang references a musical that engineering students organize every year — the MacEng Musical — which Zhuang attends annually. Based on real musicals but re-written with new lines, backdrops and characters to include an engineering angle, it’s a popular annual event with Engineering and non-Engineering students alike. “If you have an interest, you’ll be able to find something for yourself," says Zhuang. "It really depends on what kind of work you want to do and what kind of life you want.” Zhuang doesn’t just believe in finding opportunities and creating experiences for herself. She acts upon her belief in taking initiative. Last year, she approached one of her professors with a request to be a research assistant in his lab, researching process controls related to an air separation plant. In 2017, McMaster Engineering faculty members mentored 269 undergraduate students in research projects, giving students the opportunity to gain invaluable skills in communication, data collection and analysis, teamwork building and networking, and apply what they learn in a classroom. Mia Zhuang. The benefits of getting involved far exceeded Zhuang’s expectations. Besides learning to better communicate one-on-one and in large groups, Zhuang gained a large dose of confidence. “I now know more amazing people by getting involved and see amazing qualities other people have, which inspires me a lot and help me to become a more positive person,” says Zhuang. Her research, which is coding and math-based, has provided her with the building blocks she needed to bridge the gap between school and real-world scenarios. “The knowledge I learned from class helped me to build up the basics for understanding and digging into more interesting and useful stuff for real-world application, but I wasn’t ready for real-world application immediately. Research helped me fill this gap and find out what I’m truly interested in.” It was McMaster’s reputation as a research-intensive university, its strong curriculum chemical engineering and its flexible co-op program that first attracted Zhuang. McMaster University's Faculty of Engineering offers the largest undergraduate research program of any engineering school in Canada, which played a huge factor in Zhuang’s decision to accept her offer The other major reason to attend McMaster for Zhuang was the emphasis and dedication that the university placed on co-operation and teamwork rather than competition. “McMaster University has a really welcoming atmosphere,” Zhuang says. “People here help each other. We get to know each other. You need to put yourself out there and meet new people. Find out what you want to do and take the initiative to find opportunities for yourself.”