Joel Gretton
Posted on 21 November 2016
Omar Ali
2018 Gold Medal for Academic Achievement
Graduated in 2018 from McMaster University, specializing in Civil Engineering
Omar Ali’s fasciation with structures such as the CN Tower fueled his passion for engineering. The opportunity to turn abstract ideas into something concrete led him to pursue a degree in civil engineering at McMaster University. Furthermore, coming from a family with a background in civil engineering fostered an environment that encouraged his interest. At McMaster, Ali was an engineering representative for the student union. In this position he took on responsibilities such as voting on policies and creating platforms for student engineers to express themselves.
Excited to have received the Engineers Foundation Gold Medal, recognizing the student at each school with the highest academic average in their class, Ali described the sense of pride he felt. “It’s a good thing to see evidence that hard work pays off and when it seems that nobody is realizing your hard work, this kind of award helps with pushing forward.” He added that the award provided “the confidence that helps you as individual within society, especially with employers.”
Ali has his sights set on obtaining his P.Eng. license and pursuing a master’s degree. He sees licensure as allowing him to perform engineering with a high degree of confidence. As a fresh graduate, he looks forward to finding his footing in a professional setting and applying engineering principles in the real world.
As Ali finishes his degree and looks toward becoming a professional engineer, he shares a piece of advice he has followed his entire life. He states that aspiring engineers, especially students entering their degree program, should “never be afraid to make mistakes.”