U of T Double Grad Becomes 2024 McCall MacBain Scholar
U of T Double Grad Becomes 2024 McCall MacBain Scholar
Doctor of pharmacy candidate and Innis College alum Al-Amin (Al) Ahamed (HBSc 2020 INNIS, PharmD 2024) is one of 20 Canadians who will join the fourth cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars at McGill University.
The McCall MacBain Scholarships are Canada’s largest leadership-based awards for master’s and professional studies. They are the result of a landmark $200 million gift in 2019 by John and Marcy McCall MacBain, the largest single donation in the country’s history at the time. Designed to encourage purposeful leadership, the scholarships enable students to pursue a fully funded master’s or professional degree at McGill University while participating in mentorship, coaching, and a leadership development program.
This year, over 700 Canadians applied for the scholarships. Of those, 159 participated in the first round of regional interviews in November and December, and in March, 55 attended final interviews in Montreal. Each applicant participated in up to six interviews over seven months.
Ahamed’s path to health care and community leadership started at U of T
From an early age, Ahamed always knew that they wanted to pursue a career in health care and their U of T journey has made this aspiration a reality. “I never saw myself as a double grad, let alone committing to a third degree. However, double majoring in human biology and nutritional sciences and becoming part of the accepting and tight-knit community at U of T’s Innis College has been such an incredible and rewarding experience,” Ahamed says. After graduation, they continued their studies and community-building at U of T’s Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy (LDFP) —the #1 pharmacy school in Canada.
Ahamed’s ability to balance academic priorities with extracurricular responsibilities made them a strong candidate for a McCall MacBain Scholarship. Recipients were chosen based on exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.
During Ahamed’s undergraduate studies at Innis College, they volunteered as a social innovation ambassador and supported student life as an orientation coordinator and Innis College Residence don. Their work was acknowledged with a University of Toronto Student Leadership Award in 2020. Ahamed also established a bursary for professional students as an elected vice-president of the University of Toronto Students’ Union. They gained more governance and leadership experience by leading the LDFP intramural dodgeball team and as president of the Undergraduate Pharmacy Society. In addition to this, Ahamed served as president of the PharmaPride club for two years to advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in health care.
An opportunity to build on the foundation created at U of T
Ahamed is currently working on a harm reduction venture, TRUSTi, which secured first place in a pharmacy business competition. “I am passionate about destigmatizing illicit drug use and improving social supports for drug users at higher risk of overdose, morbidity, and death,” they said. Looking ahead to the future, Ahamed will be pursuing a master’s degree in public policy at McGill University in hopes of advancing health equity in drug policy.
As the academic journey Ahamed started at U of T continues at McGill, they are grateful for the opportunity created by the McCall MacBain Scholarship program and excited to join the 2024 cohort of McCall MacBain Scholars:
“Words alone cannot articulate what this scholarship means to me. Growing up in a first-generation immigrant household, I never felt that these types of opportunities were meant for people like me. Becoming a McCall MacBain Scholar has transformed my life by making graduate education an accessible reality for me and my family.”
For Ahamed, the McCall MacBain Scholarship is a crucial investment in their education and an acknowledgement of their achievements and contributions to their community. “It has served as a validation of all that I have done and a support for all that I will do,” they said. “I am so appreciative of McCall MacBain for giving me this opportunity to pursue my dreams and fight for change in the areas that matter to me.”
U of T’s McCall MacBain Finalists and Regional Award Winners
Since the start of the McCall MacBain Scholars program in 2021, U of T students and graduates have been selected for each cohort; U of T has been represented by six McCall MacBain Scholars so far.
This year, the McCall MacBain Scholars program recognized five additional U of T candidates from a variety of programs. $10,000 Finalist Awards to be applied to graduate studies at McGill University went to Tamara Altarac (BSc 2024 WDW), William Lloyd (BA 2024 TRIN), and Jacob Kates Rose (BA 2022 UC) 13 U of T students have received McCall MacBain Finalist Awards since 2021.
U of T has also been well-represented by 12 McCall MacBain Regional Award recipients since the start of the program. This year, Muhammad Ansar (BSc 2024 UTSC) placed among the top 95 of more than 700 Canadian applicants and will receive a $5,000 Regional Award. International student Yomni Makonnen Tesfaye (BSc 2024 UTSC) placed among the top 50 of international applicants from 2,250 universities. She will receive a $10,000 Regional Award. These scholarships can be applied to eligible studies at any public university in Canada.
Ahamed strongly encourages other U of T students and recent graduates to apply to become McCall MacBain Scholars: “Regardless of how far you make it, there is so much that you get to learn and experience for your own benefit. You meet such incredible people along the way that inspire you and encourage you to work harder and be better.” Though the application and interview process may seem daunting, Ahamed notes “at every step of the way, my journey with the McCall MacBain Scholars program has been a rewarding one, so there really isn’t a reason why you shouldn’t apply.”