“When I was a little girl, I used to sit beside my dad and watch him fix things around the house. He used to spend hours with me and my siblings teaching us about math and physics and the wonders of the world. When I moved to Canada, right after finishing high school, I knew I wanted to follow the steps of my dad and brother and become an engineer.
My sister, one year older than me, became my classmate because of our immigration journey; we applied for a Bachelor of Electrical and Computer Engineering program and started university together. While I was a student, I always wondered why there were so few women in my classes. With at most 10 of us in a class of almost 120 engineering students, I knew there was an opportunity to pave the way.
I worked two jobs on the weekends to help pay my tuition and even worked harder at school to achieve my dreams. Even though I used to get good marks and was one of the top students, I always doubted myself. The constant fear of not being good enough haunted me during my first year. It wasn’t until my hard work and sleepless nights were rewarded with scholarships and awards that I finally relaxed and accepted that I owned my place in the class. That was also when I realized that I was not alone; many other women I studied with questioned themselves and their abilities as they tried to pursue what society deemed a "non-traditional" field. That's when I realized how important it was to lift the women in my class up -- to ensure they were supported, recognized, and encouraged so they could thrive and grow.
An initial four-year Engineering degree ended up being a decade of study with a Ph.D. Since graduating, I have been a tireless advocate for empowering women and all pursuing fields less traveled. As my work at PureFacts Financial Solutions has evolved, I have taken on the lead in the company’s PurePossibilities program, a corporate giving initiative designed to help support the growth of worldwide wealth by providing access to basic needs, education, and employment. It’s a grassroots program designed as a flywheel in the hope that once people achieve financial well-being, they will give back to help support someone else in need. Through this program, it is my absolute pleasure to provide other women and men the support, financial well-being, and courage to push forward in their educational pursuits and, in return, help them give back to their communities.
Last year, I was delighted to congratulate the first two recipients of the PureFacts’ PurePossibilities Scholarships -- students from the University of Guelph, both of whom happened to be women seeking to make a better future for themselves and pave the way forward for others.
To read more about PurePossibilites Click Here