BridgeTO Youth Superstars: Sofya

We are excited to introduce snapshots of some of our remarkable students from the BridgeTO graduating class of 2020. They have not only mapped out their dreams into actionable goals but have begun to take their first steps to achieve them. This  Summer 2020, will be highlighting a few who have generously shared their stories with us in order to better reflect who we serve, who you are helping with your donations, and to motivate our future students.

Boss Lady Making Boss Moves

Sofya, one of BridgeTO’s graduating students, has recently accepted her offer to York University's Commerce program with aspirations of starting her own business. She hopes to specialize in Management to develop her leadership and collaboration skills, both essential to her career path. With dreams of being a CEO so delicately planned out, many would assume Sofya has planned years in advance with intricate steps to achieve success - yet, this was not always the case. 

Sofya joined BridgeTO in grade 11, during a troubling time in her life; she had no specific career goals, was struggling with her school subjects, required better learning skills, and lacked the academic confidence necessary to break free from the confines holding her talent back. In fact, Sofya was one of the first students to join BridgeTO by taking a risk on Sammer, as her new Math tutor and founder of BridgeTO. 

Although she was frustrated by challenging concepts in Math class, she remained dedicated to the BridgeTO program. She regularly attended tutoring sessions 3 days a week, her tutors, Sammer and Hamza, encouraged her to persevere through difficult school subjects and envision her career.  Over many months of dedication to after-school tutoring, and car rides home, Sofya established a trustworthy friendship with Sammer that helped her be more willing to take on risks and try the many opportunities BridgeTO would provide her with, in grade 12. 

BridgeTO works to not only provide students with better education and career opportunities but also become integral members of their family supporting them in every aspect: 

“BridgeTO has really helped improve my social skills as I used to be very shy and now I am more confident when I speak and iftar and grocery deliveries have also been very helpful..”

After informing Sammer of her decision to enter Commerce, Sofya was quickly connected to industry professionals and mentors to educate her about getting ahead in the business world. 

Sofya had the opportunity to attend the MAX Scholarship Reception in September 2019. An inspirational event for the many BridgeTO attendees, as they saw students being awarded for excellence in academics and community service. Here, Sofya met the founder of MAX, Aazar Zafar, who not only became her volunteer tutor through BridgeTO for accounting later in the year, but was also pivotal in connecting Sofya to business leaders and opportunities.

Courtesy of Aazar and Dr. Imad Salim, Sofya was amongst the youth from BridgeTO who attended the prestigious MAX Gala in October 2019. This was an incredible night of celebration attended by luminaries in Canadian politics, medicine, law, business, development, academia, and the arts, recognizing the achievements and contributions of seasoned professional and community leaders. To this date, Sofya recalls the MAX Gala as one of her fondest memories at BridgeTO, as she continues to be mesmerizing by the many accomplishments by high achieving Muslims. Here she was also introduced to Zainab Walji, recipient of the MAX Professional Excellence Award, who immediately encouraged Sofya to pursue a career in business, as a woman in hijab herself, and invited BridgeTO to PwC later in the year for another exclusive opportunity. 

Throughout the year, BridgeTO partnered with organizations and leaders to give their youth unique opportunities. Sofya was a part of the winning team at the Your Brand Matters event hosted by Benjie Thomas at KPMG headquarters, downtown Toronto. She led her team to success by developing an innovative pitch for the company Tinder that left all of the judges laughing and checked every aspect of a good business pitch.

Sofya also had the opportunity to attend the MAX Business launch, where she met BridgeTO mentor and volunteer, Aisha Durrani. This event like so many others has inspired successful career professionals to work with our youth and encouraged them to succeed beyond high school. Aisha was kind enough to visit BridgeTO many times during their tutoring sessions to mentor youth and has dedicated many hours to planning events like Your Brand Matters at KPMG. 

Sofya advises new students not to let the challenges they face deter them from achieving their goals:

“Do your homework, don’t procrastinate, stay prepared for any obstacles to come. Embrace challenges”

Sofya is a testament to the BridgeTO mission; all students regardless of their socioeconomic background, have the ability to succeed given the right guidance. As Sofya becomes a successful member of the Commerce community, BridgeTO knows her business will trailblaze in every respect.