BridgeTO Youth Superstars: Yasmine
“Have faith in yourself.”
These four words mean the world to Yasmine Ahmed, and why shouldn’t they? Even with all the odds against her, this BridgeTO Superstar used her ambition and drive to land some of the most prestigious scholarships in Canada, all while gaining acceptances to every single university program she applied to.
In short, there’s a lot to have faith in.
Yasmine grew up in a single-parent household in a rough area of Brampton, Ontario. “Growing up, I saw a lot of people around me falling victim to a really bad reality,” she recalls. “I think that gave me tunnel vision to really focus on school and focus on work, so that I didn’t have time to fall into those kinds of things.”
From a young age, Yasmine’s insistence on hard work was clear. During her first few years at Turner Fenton High School, she challenged herself to manage both her schoolwork and the long hours of her part-time job at McDonalds. She first stumbled across the BridgeTO program in Grade 11, while browsing through scholarship listings.
“At first, I thought the program was just another scholarship opportunity,” she remarks. “Little did I know that I would find a community of people who would help me work towards my overarching goals in life.”
Yasmine was accepted into the BridgeTO program in the summer of 2020. She felt the sense of community in the program was extremely important, and she specifically credits BridgeTO mentor Leena Latafat (CP24) for being a supportive friend and older sister over the past year.
The BridgeTO events were also a huge help for Yasmine. During the BMO Mock Trial event on Feb 12th 2021, Yasmine and her peers got to work with some of Toronto’s top lawyers on a practice law case. “That experience at BMO really showed me a lot about what being a lawyer is like,” she says. “It’s definitely a field I’m interested in exploring.”
Finally, Yasmine credits BridgeTO with helping her refine her writing skills. “A lot of the tutors helped me notice discrepancies in my writing, and I feel like this really helped me become a better writer over the past year,” she mentions. Yasmine got the opportunity to showcase this improved writing during the BridgeTO Black History Month Event in February, where she presented her spoken word piece “The Definition of Strength” alongside renowned guests such as Toronto-based activist Desmond Cole and CityNews reporter Faiza Amin.
Without a doubt, Yasmine can look back proudly at everything she has accomplished during this whirlwind of a year. In June, she will officially graduate high school with a Grade 12 average of 93%, while also serving as Class Valedictorian. As a BridgeTO graduate, she’ll take home a brand-new laptop to start her university career.
Yasmine was accepted to each and every single university program she applied to, and she ultimately opted to pursue a French immersion degree in International Development and Globalization at the University of Ottawa.
Yasmine is a proud recipient of the $100,000 Loran Award and the $10,000 Horatio Alger National Entrepreneurial Scholarship. She’s also been accepted to work as a Page in the House of Commons next year as she continues to pursue her interests in public policy.
With her eyes set on Law School or a PhD in Human Rights and International Development, Yasmine knows her journey is just getting started. Her experiences in school and work drive her to work towards a future where Black Women, Women of Colour and Immigrants are all empowered to pursue their dreams and live in an equitable society.
As always, everything comes back to self-belief with Yasmine. When asked to give advice to students who find the odds stacked against them, her voice is unwavering:
“Have a lot more faith in yourself. No matter how much you believe in yourself right now, believe in yourself more. Push yourself beyond your expectations, and I promise you’ll be surprised at what you find.”
Yasmine is a BridgeTO Superstar in every sense of the word, and we look forward to seeing the amazing things she accomplishes in the future.
