MAX Gala

BridgeTO Youth were honoured to attend the MAX Gala and event highlighting Muslim excellence at its finest.

Here’s what our students had to say about why they signed up for the event:

One of our 12th graders who was preparing to apply to university at the time said that as a young black Muslim female she said nothing would come easy for. When she heard about the MAX Gala, she did not hesitate to sign up because she wanted to witness first-hand individuals just like her who are thriving in their careers and life. 

We asked our students for a breakdown of the event and here is how they described it:

An event that brought together individuals from different races, ethnicities, cultures and professions to award and commend the many hardworking and driven Muslims for excelling and making a name for themselves in their respective careers. Their favourite parts of the event included the speakers’ and recipients’ speeches. One student described the dialogue as inspiring, motivating, and simply beautiful. She says it was her first time seeing Muslims brought together for what she would describe as a prestigious event, and she loves how the event represented people from all walks of life. 

A speaker who particularly resonated with one student was Hodan Nalayer’s sister. As described by the student, Hodan was a pivotal influence in the Somali community; she embodies the values of a strong, ambitious and driven woman who upheld her Muslim identity regardless of where she was. Our students’ favourite part about Hodan’s sister’s speech was that she shared the many things that made Hodan special and why her legacy lives on today. 

When asked about the opportunity to network and ask questions, the students said that they had the chance to speak to many outstanding individuals, including Zainab Walji, who is now mentoring some of our students. Talking to Walji inspired our BridgeTO Youth and showed everyone that it is definitely possible for Muslim female who is a person of colour to achieve success in the corporate world. The networking opportunities presented at the event were both encouraging and valuable to our students.

BridgeTO Youth’s biggest takeaway from the MAX Gala was that there is no challenge that cannot be achieved regardless of religion, race or gender. Hard work, dedication and passion will get you the success you want and never fear that your background will prevent you from achieving your goals.

Thank you MAX for encouraging our youth to take pride in their identities!