"Passionate about social advocacy, civic engagement, and all things community-related!"

Asha is a passionate advocate for a society and world where compassion, understanding and equity are primary drivers. As such, she wanted to pursue a degree that would allow her to think critically about current events, engage with different viewpoints, and deeply listen to other’s stories in order to broaden her perspectives. Asha wants to study political structures, public policy, and their impact on the lives of citizens.

Asha has expressed her passion for social advocacy and civic engagement through journalism, debate, speech, Model United Nations, political campaigning, and volunteering within a variety of communities. She has been a member of the University of Calgary’s Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Committee, the Canadian RCMP National Youth Advisory Council, and the Alberta Education Minister’s Youth Council. She is currently the co-chair for the University of Calgary Chancellor’s Scholars Ambassadors Club and an executive for Humans of UCalgary. She has also served as a speaker at special events including the Calgary Women’s International March and the Canadian Mental Health Association Youth Summit. For the past three summers, Asha has worked with ATB Financial on their Inclusion & Reconciliation team. She recently completed a group study abroad in Italy, taking two religious studies courses.

Following her undergraduate studies, Asha hopes to peruse a degree in international or human rights law in order to continue advocating for justice, especially for those who are vulnerable or historically marginalized. Asha wants to do her small part to continue building a more sustainable, pluralistic, and caring world.

Awards and Achievements

• University of Calgary Chancellor’s Scholarship 2021-2025
• Chancellor M. Ann McCaig Scholarship 2021-2025
• Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers 2023
• Lousie McKinney Scholarship 2022 & 2023
• Queen’s Golden Jubilee Citizenship Award 2022
• Wigham Family Entrance Scholarship in Humanities and Social Sciences 2021
• University of Calgary President's Admission Scholarship 2021
• Loran ATB Finalist Award 2021
• TD Award of Merit for Community Leadership 2021
• Muslim Award of Excellence, All Star-Female Leaders Category 2021
• Calgary Flames Foundation Community Involvement Scholarship 2021
• Education Matters Future Leaders Award 2021
• Job's Daughters International Scholarship 2021
• Calgary Foundation Julia Turnbull Leadership Award 2021
• Alexander Rutherford Scholarship 2021
• Western Huron Hellmuth Full Tuition Scholarship 2021 (declined)
• Carleton Prestige Scholarship 2021 (declined)
• Federation of Canadian Municipalities Women in Government Scholarship 2019
• 1st Place, Pierre E. Trudeau Award for Diplomacy, Commission on the Status of Women, Secondary Schools United Nations Symposium 2019
• Calgary Youth of Distinction Volunteer Award 2018
• Received over 50 individual and team debate & speech awards, represented Alberta at Canadian Debate Nationals four times (Calgary 2018, Halifax 2019, Saskatoon 2019, Virtual 2020)

Publications

• Night and Day: An Investigation of the Difference in International Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis vs. the Ukrainian Refugee Crisis Through the Theoretical Lens of Constructivism. The Motley Undergraduate Journal, 1(2) 2023
• Finding Africa. Ignio Student Journal, 4 (1): Sovereignty: Power to the people? 2023