Mac Eng Moments
The legacy graduates from 2020 & 2021, and our new 2022 graduates, share their defining moments throughout their time at McMaster Engineering.
Right before first year when I was deciding between programs, I attended a brunch at McMaster for prospective Engineering students. Going in, I had a lot of doubts about whether I could handle such a program, since I’d never considered a career in Engineering, and I had the stigma it “wasn’t for women”. It was here I met Dr. Ishwar Puri, Dean of Engineering at the time, and he asked me why I wanted to become an Engineer. I had no idea. I told him I didn’t even know what an Engineer really does. Dean Puri then asked me to tell him what I liked to do with my time. “Ballet, Math, Camping, Swimming, Singing, and being outdoors”. He simply said “you just described an Engineer” and walked away. I made sure to grab a copy of MacEngineer magazine on the way out, since I now had a clear answer about where I was going and why. That conversation is 100% the reason I came to Mac Eng.
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2020, Mechanical Engineering
Lacey Wice
My Spark Moment
I had a full plate after I got into Mechanical & Society for second year, but I made it even more complicated when I decided to take a double minor. This wasn’t something the Academic Advisors were suggesting - in fact, I’m pretty sure they told me to do the exact opposite. In every tiny gap in my timetable, I squeezed Biology, Immunology and BioMech courses until I had 14-hour days on campus and fell asleep in class pretty much every day. This was a huge obstacle for me, since I’d never been one to complain about schoolwork-life balance. Asking for help was a very difficult thing to do, but I had to if I wanted to enjoy my time at Mac and succeed at what I was doing. I asked for help from the Society program Admin, the Advisors, and my profs. I was met with positivity and support from every corner. They helped me adjust my expectations and workload, as well as my timetable. It was here I really developed that sense of community all Mac Eng students feel, and comfort knowing I was going to make it through the 5 years in one piece!
My Flame Moment
My final year - although disrupted by the pandemic - was incredible for many reasons, but my proudest achievement was becoming McMaster Baja’s Co-Captain. I’d spent 4 years on the team, and it was an extremely high honour to be able to help lead the team. In this way, I could leave a lasting impact at Mac, and I really loved the team environment. It was a fantastic way to end the journey, even if the year ended unexpectedly for us all. I learned a lot about leadership that year and about how much I could handle as an Engineering student - not to mention how much fun it was
My Fireball Moment
The lasting Mac Eng moment was preparing my capstone product for CBC’s Dragons’ Den. This was a great way to conclude my final year and develop a new solution for the world to see. Presenting on Dragons’ Den was an amazing experience. We got a standing ovation from the Dragons after our pitch and demo was completed. Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow also called us “model student entrepreneurs”. We were proud to be McMaster Engineering grads!
My Fireball Moment
One funny obstacle (looking back) was trying to secure a performance with my band in 2nd year. We had only played together once and then were invited to open at a Fashion Show in Downtown Hamilton. We quickly had to create a repertoire and practice in less than a week before the performance. Our band name was the JuicyBoys (I did not choose the name).
My Flame Moment
"The lasting Mac Eng moment was preparing my capstone product for CBC’s Dragons’ Den. This was a great way to conclude my final year and develop a new solution for the world to see. Presenting on Dragons’ Den was an amazing experience. We got a standing ovation from the Dragons after our pitch and demo was completed. Arlene Dickinson and Michele Romanow also called us “model student entrepreneurs”. We were proud to be McMaster Engineering grads!"
My Spark Moment
2020, Eng Physics & Management
Michael Jobity
Every journey must come to an end, and reflecting on mine, what is clear is what I will keep from my time here at McMaster - my friends. Just like when I was about to enter university, I’m looking at this time ahead as another period of uncertainty, and the nerves are back! Being an adult and moving further away from home is a lot to tackle, but my university experience and the wonderful friends I made remind me that I have done this before and I’ll be able to do it again. My fireball moment was taking a picture at the iron ring in front of JHE - with some people I knew and some I didn’t - a perfect example of the loving community I had the privilege of being a part of these past four years!
My Fireball Moment
While DECA has been a large part of my life since early high school, opting to be a part of the club in university brought its own unique challenges. Unlike in high school, university students always have a lot going on, and so club involvement is challenging – meeting times are hard for everyone to make, midterms are different between individuals and faculty, and training an entire delegate chapter in these circumstances was extremely challenging! After hours of tireless lesson planning and creating flexible lessons so that everyone could be involved and competitive, my fellow VP of training and I were able to train our delegate chapter and take McMaster DECA to a record high number of awards! My flame moment was a reminder that regardless of how challenging, with the help of a team, we could conquer any problem.
My Flame Moment
My Spark Moment
Software
Maanav Dalal
After grad, I went to campus, sat in front of the iron ring, and remembered how many ups and downs I had. Remembered the days I thought I wouldn’t make it through, and the days I thought if it was tough, then I am tougher. Remembered the endless extracurricular hours I put in, the laughs and cries. The lowest GPA and the highest GPA. When I gained the freshman 15 and when I lost the same 15 during grad year. The downs made me resilient, and the ups gave me the energy and happiness to keep going. Today, I feel the most content and the real meaning of graduating from and having a world-class education.
My Fireball Moment
McMaster Engineering was offering Dean’s Entrance Awards and research co-op for incoming students on academic excellence and outstanding leadership skills. Being one of the 24 who had this awarded out of ~1000 incoming students always made me feel the honour and responsibility that I should make Mac proud, just as Mac trusted me. This is on an academic, extracurriculars, work, research, and volunteering perspectives. Like many students, grades and mental health might have gone down during certain times, but I remember the committee head at that time giving me a second chance and I was able to graduate with an A+ GPA and a ton of extracurricular leadership experiences.
My Flame Moment
"During my first year, I took the time to learn about the different opportunities. At a point, I thought it was too late to be involved as a leader. Shortly after, MES appointed me as MacEng Wellness Committee Chair. While advertising for it during May@Mac, a photographer asked what does the Fireball mean to me. I said, engineers are on Fire. Few weeks after, my phone didn’t stop ringing to find out Mac used my photo on a main banner in the Global Engineering Deans Council Conference #GEDC2017. I couldn’t count the number of extracurriculars hours I did since then. "
My Spark Moment
2021, Electrical and Electonics
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My Fireball Moment
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My Flame Moment
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My Spark Moment
2021, Electrical and Electonics
Menatalla Ibrahim
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CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OUR
2022 GRADUATES
#MacEngGrad2022
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This contest is open to 2020, 2021, and 2022 graduates.
IT STARTS WITH A SPARK
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Want to win a degree frame or Mac Eng swag?
Tag @mcmastereng in your convocation photos on Instagram, or send via DM, to be entered to win!
This contest is open to 2020, 2021, and 2022 graduates
My Fireball comes in March 2022, during Kipling celebrations. Even though I graduated in 2021, I delayed my Kipling ceremony by a year in hopes that I would be able to participate in a ceremony on-campus rather than virtually. It was worth the wait. I got to spend one last weekend with the friends and mentors that got me through McMaster Engineering. From the actual ceremony, to hanging out at the bar afterwards, and the formal dinner and dance that night, it was a weekend to remember with so many people that I cherish.
My Fireball Moment
During the heart of the pandemic, I decided to try my hand at competing in the McMaster Engineering Competition in the Communications category. This meant that I had to present a technical topic that I am passionate about, and hit on key points related to sustainability. I was challenged with delivering this presentation completely virtually! How could I translate my presentation skills through Zoom? I knew I wanted to present about autonomous vehicles. So I put together a fun presentation with graphs and visuals, a quick video with matchbox cars, and did my best to convey my passion. This strategy took me from 1st place in the McMaster competition, to 1st place in Ontario, all the way to 1st place at the Canadian Engineering Competition 2021, and it is one of my proudest achievements and biggest challenges of my time at McMaster!
My Flame Moment
Participating in and winning the Big Ideas Contest in 2018 was definitely the spark that set the tone for the rest of my time at Mac. I quickly submitted one of my ideas an hour before the deadline. I had no expectations, nor did I believe I could actually win. So, being one of six lucky students that would be flown out to Silicon Valley was proof to me that I was meant to be an engineer, that I truly belonged. The trip helped me realize that engineering could take me anywhere, that I could work and compete with the very best in the world. I made so many amazing connections and memories on that trip that I will never ever forget. I learned that there are no limits, there was nothing I couldn’t achieve as a Mac Eng student and, eventually, graduate.
My Spark Moment
2021, Mech Eng & Society
Andrew Aslanidis
LEGACY GRADUATE
LEGACY GRADUATE
Co-founder, Operations & Business Development, 2unify
LEGACY GRADUATE
Structures Design Engineer, Multimatic Inc.
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Learn about ceremony details on your big day! Plus, check out McMaster's Celebration Page and learn about our honorary degree recipients and valedictorians.
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Spring 2022 Convocation
In my final year, I was excited to develop, deliver, and present my team’s capstone project, a database cataloguing the specifications, quality control measures, and regulatory compliance for over 100 single-use technologies implemented in a vaccine manufacturing facility. Our team partnered with vaccine manufacturer Sanofi which has a site in Toronto for manufacturing diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus vaccines. Throughout the database’s design, my team navigated a new software, collected database data, learned the process applications of each item in the manufacturing process, and collaborated regularly with the Sanofi team. This project is my “fireball” moment because my team and I are proud to have led the design and delivery of a valuable end product to an industry partner!
My Fireball Moment
At a pivotal point in my undergraduate journey, my spark burst into a flame. My transition to second year had been rough: The combined impact of living off-campus and away from my family in the U.S. and learning new material that I hadn’t seen in high school was overwhelming. But then, I discovered the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders (EWB). Over the four years of being a member, I met incredibly understanding and kind individuals who have become lifelong friends and have taught me the value of life beyond academics. I co-organized a conference on topics related to food engineering (like smart agricultural monitoring, food insecurity in Hamilton, and innovations in the dairy industry). I learned how to advocate for sustainability and a more equitable world, both in Canada and abroad.
My Flame Moment
My journey at McMaster “sparked” after attending the May @ Mac open house and its Women in Engineering (WiE) information session. I was captivated by Mac’s positive energy and welcoming community and intrigued by its unique interdisciplinary engineering programs.
The moment when I knew that Mac’s Chemical and Bioengineering program was where I wanted to be was when a PhD student shared how the Sheardown lab was developing more effective methods to deliver drugs to eye tissue. Before her talk, I thought that chemical engineers only worked on large-scale manufacturing plants—but nevertheless, here was a chemical engineer designing groundbreaking drug delivery technology! Then and there, I realized this program could combine all of my interests: chemistry, biochemistry, healthcare, and engineering.
My Spark Moment
Chemical Engineering
Annika Yardy
LEGACY GRADUATE
Structures Design Engineer, Multimatic Inc.
The day that I took my graduation photos was the day that I felt marked the end of my journey! Mac Eng has been such a huge part of my life, so it was hard to believe that it was coming to an end. However, I am grateful that I got the opportunity to my friends and professors in person before graduating.
My Fireball Moment
In my second year, I won first place in a 48-hour hackathon called ‘MedHacks’ by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. I ended up working with people I had met there on an app and website that allows the user to take a picture of a mole/lesion to determine whether they have a chance of developing melanoma, a type of skin cancer. This experience allowed me to apply the project-based learning I practiced in iBioMed, and got me more interested in trying to solve complex real-world problems by creating new products. I later got a chance to explore these skills further through the ‘Innovators in Scrubs’ (IBEHS 4EE6) course, which I later became a teaching assistant for, as well as through my time in the start-up incubator ‘The Clinic @ Mac’.
My Flame Moment
My undergrad at McMaster changed my life in countless ways by allowing me to explore my passion of integrating technology with healthcare as well as teaching. Meeting and working with Dr. Christopher Anand in the Computer & Software department sparked my teaching journey. Through a training session to learn functional programming and teaching it to kids and working as a research assistant to develop technologies to teach kids Elm, I realized how rewarding teaching kids was. I started the “McMaster Start Coding” club to encourage women and underprivileged youth to consider STEM disciplines, that today has 66 members and helped teach over 5,000 students!
My Spark Moment
iBioMed
LEGACY GRADUATE
LEGACY GRADUATE
Yumna Irfan
EIT, Station Design Alectra
My fireball moment at McMaster has to be presenting our capstone project in a competition in the United States and winning. In this competition, my group was the only Canadian school present and being able to represent McMaster and show leaders of the industry how incredible our students and faculty are was amazing. Winning that competition and being awarded Most Valuable Presenter was icing on the cake and really showed everyone who attended what a force McMaster Engineering is.
My Fireball Moment
My ‘flame’ has to be going through the pandemic and continuing to show up for myself and my education. It was a challenge to have completed half my degree in-person, finally understand how I learn and study best, and then completely have everything change and re-learn these methods. I am grateful for the mechanical engineering department and the Faculty of Engineering for making the transition as transparent and accommodating for students as possible and involving us in the decision-making process. There were moments during those two years where it felt like there was no end in sight. But coming back to in-person this year and experiencing all the exciting moments spent on campus made those difficult times worth it.
My Flame Moment
When I look back at my time at McMaster, I distinctly remember how I felt driving into campus on moving day. I remember a sea of students approaching my car in colourful, red overalls. The cheering, excitement and hundreds of welcoming faces are all still vivid years later. It was the kindness of everyone throughout welcome week that really began my journey at McMaster. I remember being introduced to many activities and people around campus and vowed that I would take every opportunity I had to make my time here memorable. I took every chance to try something new, connect with people that shared my interests, explore different clubs and do my best to balance school and a social life. I’m quite proud of all of that I’ve done.
My Spark Moment
Mech Eng
LEGACY GRADUATE
LEGACY GRADUATE
Leisha Fernando
Kipling day – This was a day that felt different being on campus, I felt that this was the moment I changed from being a student to being a graduating student and was the beginning of the end of my journey at McMaster. It was a day I reconnected with friends I hadn’t seen in person for a long time, reminisce on the past years and look forward to our future. This was a memorable fireball moment where my long and exciting journey at McMaster was coming to a bittersweet ending.
My Fireball Moment
During third year I had a heavy course load and many extracurriculars, including my first major leadership role as Chair of the 2018 McMaster Engineering Competition (MEC). It was the biggest MEC in its history. While I succeeded in my courses, I had put too much pressure on myself, which made that time period difficult. I had faced challenges and decisions that I had never dealt with before. But I learned a lot, including the importance of teamwork. I could not have led a successful event if I didn’t have the incredible MEC team alongside me. I also learned a lot about leadership, time management and taking care of myself. This experience was a vital part of my journey which allowed me to move forward on a better path.
My Flame Moment
That spark feeling came after seeing all the amazing clubs and talking with student volunteers at May@Mac in 2016. I realized that I wanted to be a Mac Eng student and get involved too. I was inspired by a fourth-year student: they were a leader in EcoCAR, did a fellowship with Engineers Without Borders and formed their own club that has grown into a national organization. While I often felt too nervous in high school to get involved, upper-year students made me feel included that day. I knew I could become my own version of an involved student like them. My passion for extracurriculars at McMaster has taken me down a path I wouldn’t have thought could happen to me if I hadn’t been inspired to put myself out there.
My Spark Moment
Electrical Engineering
Aya Aboughanem
LEGACY GRADUATE
Structures Design Engineer, Multimatic Inc.
Biomechanical Laboratory Tech, Centre for Health Innovation
EIT, Station Design Alectra
I recall starting my journey at McMaster with a lot of nervousness and some fear. Going to university away from home and having to figure out the process of living alone, regulating myself, and making new friends was a large life transition for me, and I was rightfully nervous. One of my friends told me to attend Horizons, a Conference run by McMaster before university started. At the conference, I made many friends, had unforgettable conversations, and started to learn what McMaster was all about – after this experience, I was thrilled to commence my university experience! My spark moment was being reminded of the inclusive community I would soon be a part of.
2021, Electrical and Electonics
Menatalla Ibrahim
LEGACY GRADUATE
LEGACY GRADUATE
Photo Contest
Mac Eng Moments
3 of 3
2 of 3
1 of 3
Lacey Wice
I met the dean at the time, and he asked me why I wanted to become an Engineer. I had no idea. I told him I didn’t even know what an Engineer really does.
Asking for help was a difficult thing to do, but I had to if I wanted to enjoy my time and succeed at Mac.
My proudest achievement was becoming McMaster Baja’s Co-Captain. I’d spent 4 years on the team, and it was an extremely high honour to be able to help lead the team.
BIOMECHANICAL LABORATORY TECH, CENTRE FOR HEALTH INNOVATION
2020, Mechanical Engineering
Michael Jobity
BIOMECHANICAL LABORATORY TECH, CENTRE FOR HEALTH INNOVATION
2020, Eng Physics & Management
3 of 3
Preparing my capstone product for CBC’s Dragons’ Den was a great way to conclude my final year.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
One funny obstacle (looking back) was trying to secure a performance with my band...
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
The spark that defined the beginning of my journey was joining the MSU Maroons Team.
My Spark Moment
IT STARTS WITH A SPARK
Mac Eng Proud
GET THE STICKERS!
FIREBALL gif stickers
More ways to celebrate on social
Add a little pizzazz to your Instagram stories with our convocation giphy stickers. Just search for #FireballFamily in the gif sticker search bar to find and add them to your stories!
PHOTO CONTEST
Andrew Aslanidis
STRUCTURES DESIGN ENGINEER, MULTIMATIC INC.
2021, Mech Eng & Society
3 of 3
I delayed my Kipling ceremony a year in hopes for an on-campus ceremony. The wait paid off. I got to spend one last weekend with the friends and mentors that got me through McMaster Engineering.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
Competing in the McMaster Engineering Competition in the Communications category is one of my proudest achievements and biggest challenges of my time at McMaster!
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
Participating in and winning the Big Ideas Contest in 2018 was definitely the spark that set the tone for the rest of my time at Mac.
My Spark Moment
Menatalla Ibrahim
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
2021, Electrical and Electonics
3 of 3
After grad, I went to campus, sat in front of the iron ring, and remembered how many ups and downs I had. The downs made me resilient, and the ups gave me the energy and happiness to keep going.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
Being one of the 24 who was awarded the Dean’s Entrance Award always made me feel the honour and responsibility that I should make Mac proud, just as Mac trusted me.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
During May@Mac, a photographer asked what does the Fireball mean to me. I said, engineers are on Fire.
My Spark Moment
Yumna Irfan
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
iBioMed
3 of 3
The day that I took my graduation photos was the day that I felt marked the end of my journey! Mac Eng has been such a huge part of my life, so it was hard to believe that it was coming to an end.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
Attending ‘MedHacks’ allowed me to apply the project-based learning I practiced in iBioMed and grew my interest in trying to solve complex real-world problems by creating new products.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
I realized how rewarding teaching kids was in a training session. It inspired me to start the “McMaster Start Coding” club to encourage women and underprivileged youth to consider STEM disciplines.
My Spark Moment
Annika Yardy
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
Chemical Engineering
3 of 3
My capstone project is my “fireball” moment because my team and I are proud to have led the design and delivery of a valuable end product to an industry partner!
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
My transition to second year was rough: The combined impact of living off-campus and away from my family in the U.S. and learning new material that I hadn’t seen in high school was overwhelming. But then, I discovered the McMaster chapter of Engineers Without Borders.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
My journey at McMaster “sparked” after attending the May@Mac open house and its Women in Engineering information session. I was captivated by Mac’s positive energy and welcoming community and intrigued by its unique interdisciplinary engineering programs.
My Spark Moment
Maanav Dalal
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
Software
3 of 3
My fireball moment was taking a picture at the iron ring in front of JHE, with some people I knew and some I didn’t – a perfect example of the loving community I had the privilege of being a part of these past four years!
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
My flame moment was a reminder that regardless of how challenging, with the help of a team, we could conquer any problem.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
My spark moment was being reminded of the inclusive community I would soon be a part of.
My Spark Moment
Aya Aboughanem
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
Electrical Engineering
3 of 3
Kipling day – This was a day that felt different being on campus, I felt that this was the moment I changed from being a student to being a graduating student and was the beginning of the end of my journey at McMaster.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
During my third year, I had put too much pressure on myself, which made that time period difficult. But I learned a lot, including the importance of teamwork.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
That spark feeling came after seeing all the amazing clubs and talking with student volunteers at May@Mac.
My Spark Moment
Leisha Fernando
EIT, STATION DESIGN ALECTRA
Mechanical Engineering
3 of 3
My fireball moment at McMaster has to be presenting our capstone project in a competition in the United States and winning.
My Fireball Moment
2 of 3
My ‘flame’ has to be going through the pandemic and continuing to show up for myself and my education.
My Flame Moment
1 of 3
It was the kindness of everyone throughout welcome week that really began my journey at McMaster.
My Spark Moment
YOU DID IT!