Hira Waheed believes challenges only make you stronger.
The 17-year-old Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School Grade 12 student suffers from extreme fatigue frequently. But she doesn’t let the tiredness slow her down.
Waheed has been a member of the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club – which aims to bring awareness to mental health problems and break the stigma surrounding mental illness – at the school for about two years.
She’s assisted in delivering lessons on mental health and illness to more than 400 Grade 9 students and is trained in safeTALK to be a suicide alert helper. She’s also helped present on the issue at different workshops, including at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus and the second annual Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton’s Student-Led Showcase.
In addition, Waheed’s assisted in organizing different events with the group and helped lead groups of students in various activities designed to help build excitement about coming to high school as part of a Grade 8 transition program.
And her drive to make a difference isn’t just limited to Bishop Ryan.
Waheed participated in the Best Buddies program at her former high school, Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, where she did different activities with children with special needs, as well as took part in the Me to We program at the school, where she helped create and plan activities to help people suffering around the world in underdeveloped countries.
She also lends her hands at the Hamilton Mosque on Stone Church Road East, where she helps with planning, food preparation, guest registration and ushering at various events.
Waheed said she sees challenges in life as learning opportunities.
“I always see the positive side to every situation,” she said. “I have the strength to persevere. Instead of saying, ‘Why me?’, I say ‘Try me.’”
That attitude has led Waheed to garner an Ontario Community Newspapers Association 2016 Ontario Junior Citizen Award.
The award recognizes outstanding young people, age six to 17, who are performing worthwhile community service, contributing to their communities while living with limitations, have performed acts of heroism or are good kids who are making life better for others and doing more than expected of someone their age.
Waheed is among 12 recipients from across the province who will be honoured during a special ceremony in March at Queen’s Park.
Marisa Mariella, who’s a teacher advisor for the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club and nominated Waheed for the award, said by nature, Waheed does not call attention to herself.
“When you meet Hira she looks so unassuming,” she said. “And yet when you learn about some of the challenges she’s had to face and you see how well respected she is at school among her teachers and students, you can’t help but just be inspired by her.”
Hira Waheed believes challenges only make you stronger.
The 17-year-old Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School Grade 12 student suffers from extreme fatigue frequently. But she doesn’t let the tiredness slow her down.
Waheed has been a member of the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club – which aims to bring awareness to mental health problems and break the stigma surrounding mental illness – at the school for about two years.
She’s assisted in delivering lessons on mental health and illness to more than 400 Grade 9 students and is trained in safeTALK to be a suicide alert helper. She’s also helped present on the issue at different workshops, including at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus and the second annual Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton’s Student-Led Showcase.
In addition, Waheed’s assisted in organizing different events with the group and helped lead groups of students in various activities designed to help build excitement about coming to high school as part of a Grade 8 transition program.
And her drive to make a difference isn’t just limited to Bishop Ryan.
Waheed participated in the Best Buddies program at her former high school, Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, where she did different activities with children with special needs, as well as took part in the Me to We program at the school, where she helped create and plan activities to help people suffering around the world in underdeveloped countries.
She also lends her hands at the Hamilton Mosque on Stone Church Road East, where she helps with planning, food preparation, guest registration and ushering at various events.
Waheed said she sees challenges in life as learning opportunities.
“I always see the positive side to every situation,” she said. “I have the strength to persevere. Instead of saying, ‘Why me?’, I say ‘Try me.’”
That attitude has led Waheed to garner an Ontario Community Newspapers Association 2016 Ontario Junior Citizen Award.
The award recognizes outstanding young people, age six to 17, who are performing worthwhile community service, contributing to their communities while living with limitations, have performed acts of heroism or are good kids who are making life better for others and doing more than expected of someone their age.
Waheed is among 12 recipients from across the province who will be honoured during a special ceremony in March at Queen’s Park.
Marisa Mariella, who’s a teacher advisor for the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club and nominated Waheed for the award, said by nature, Waheed does not call attention to herself.
“When you meet Hira she looks so unassuming,” she said. “And yet when you learn about some of the challenges she’s had to face and you see how well respected she is at school among her teachers and students, you can’t help but just be inspired by her.”
Hira Waheed believes challenges only make you stronger.
The 17-year-old Bishop Ryan Catholic Secondary School Grade 12 student suffers from extreme fatigue frequently. But she doesn’t let the tiredness slow her down.
Waheed has been a member of the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club – which aims to bring awareness to mental health problems and break the stigma surrounding mental illness – at the school for about two years.
She’s assisted in delivering lessons on mental health and illness to more than 400 Grade 9 students and is trained in safeTALK to be a suicide alert helper. She’s also helped present on the issue at different workshops, including at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton’s West 5th Campus and the second annual Suicide Prevention Community Council of Hamilton’s Student-Led Showcase.
In addition, Waheed’s assisted in organizing different events with the group and helped lead groups of students in various activities designed to help build excitement about coming to high school as part of a Grade 8 transition program.
And her drive to make a difference isn’t just limited to Bishop Ryan.
Waheed participated in the Best Buddies program at her former high school, Corpus Christi Catholic Secondary School, where she did different activities with children with special needs, as well as took part in the Me to We program at the school, where she helped create and plan activities to help people suffering around the world in underdeveloped countries.
She also lends her hands at the Hamilton Mosque on Stone Church Road East, where she helps with planning, food preparation, guest registration and ushering at various events.
Waheed said she sees challenges in life as learning opportunities.
“I always see the positive side to every situation,” she said. “I have the strength to persevere. Instead of saying, ‘Why me?’, I say ‘Try me.’”
That attitude has led Waheed to garner an Ontario Community Newspapers Association 2016 Ontario Junior Citizen Award.
The award recognizes outstanding young people, age six to 17, who are performing worthwhile community service, contributing to their communities while living with limitations, have performed acts of heroism or are good kids who are making life better for others and doing more than expected of someone their age.
Waheed is among 12 recipients from across the province who will be honoured during a special ceremony in March at Queen’s Park.
Marisa Mariella, who’s a teacher advisor for the Celtic Circle Student Leadership Club and nominated Waheed for the award, said by nature, Waheed does not call attention to herself.
“When you meet Hira she looks so unassuming,” she said. “And yet when you learn about some of the challenges she’s had to face and you see how well respected she is at school among her teachers and students, you can’t help but just be inspired by her.”