Campus Changemaker charting her path to transform healthcare

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Joy, a recent Laurier Health Sciences graduate and recipient of the Laurier Scholars Award, grew up calling three countries “home” (Egypt, Kuwait and Canada). This life experience gave her unique insight into healthcare disparities around the world, sparking a desire to foster a culturally inclusive healthcare community and give back in ways that really matter.

In 2023, backed by the support of professors, staff and students within Laurier’s Faculty of Science, Joy rallied support for the first ever Student Culture Day, an event designed to educate the Laurier community about its own cultural diversity. The second annual Student Culture Day was attended by 300 students representing over 35 different countries!

Within the classroom, Joy has broadened her understanding of healthcare significantly and conducted research alongside award-winning professors in both the Child Memory Lab and the Faculty's Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility committee.

With the encouragement of the Laurier community behind her, Joy continues to stretch beyond her comfort zone, be bold in pursuing her purpose and seek out opportunities to make a difference – both now and in her future career. At the end of her third year at Laurier, Joy was accepted into medical school at the University of Ottawa.

Since starting medical school Joy was selected as a student advisor for the Student Affairs Office, where she supports student well-being through mental health, mentorship and financial aid resources. She has also helped launch a national program supporting over 30 pre-med students and, in summer 2025, she assisted with pediatric sickle cell disease research.

Her advice to future Golden Hawks? "Laurier has opportunities all around—you only need to be brave enough to seek them out."