Stellar Student
Parveen Herar

Age: 18

Hometown: Port Coquitlam

Academic awards include:
Millennium Excellence Award; Kalpana Chawla Memorial Foundation Scholarship; UBC Okanagan Entrance Scholarship; Indo-Canadian Business Association Scholarship; India Club Academic Achievement Scholarship
Currently studying: Sciences at Simon Fraser University.

Advice for students:
Get involved in any way that you can. In your community or in your school, there are always clubs, sports teams and volunteer organizations that you can join. As you do this you will find that your personal network grows. These experiences will truly enrich your life.
My second piece of advice is to take the time to travel. You will learn things about the world and yourself that you never knew before.
Lastly, school is expensive. Find the time to apply for any and every scholarship or bursary you can find. Every little bit counts.

Success strategies you swear by:
To relax and stay calm. When things don’t go the way I want them to, I just take a step back, re-evaluate the situation and move forward. It is really hard to focus and take a step back when you are stressed. I have also learned to take my time with big projects and tasks. Start early; you will be glad you did.

Confidence-building techniques:
Being sure of who you are is an important part of being confident. It took me a while to figure that out. I remember in Grade 10 in one of my courses the teacher asked us, “Who are you?” After that class I really started to think about who I was. What did I want to do with my life? What do I enjoy doing and why? By the end of high school, for the most part, I had it figured out. I have a passion for helping people and I would love to work a hands-on job where I can help people and travel at the same time. So I decided that I want to become a doctor.

The biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome:
Breaking out of my shell. As a kid I was always very shy and introverted. As I grew older I saw how much more there was to life if you just took the time to get to know people and make connections. Joining clubs, Girl Guides and sports teams, being involved in leadership classes were just some of the ways I met new people and built my personal network. The biggest help was taking leadership roles in the community and in school. It took a while, but I find that it has paid off.

A quote that inspires you:
“Some people see things the way they are and ask, ‘Why?’ I dream things that never were and ask, ‘Why not?’”