Hafsa Arif
Rutland Senior Secondary
Kelowna
2013 Grad
Aspiring pediatrician
Hasfa arrived from Saudi Arabia at age seven, speaks Urdu and English and loves Nanaimo bars. Self-described as hard working, persistent and honest, she’s a regular at Vancouver We Day and counts Free the Children as her favourite charity.
Quintessential career: doctor—probably pediatrics.
Favourite subjects: math and biology. I plan to study sciences at UBC-O.
Independence: after two years at UBC-O, go to UBC in Vancouver.
Helping out: volunteer in The Snackery at Kelowna General Hospital and organize games and crafts for six- to nine-year-olds at Rutland YMCA.
Must have technology: cell phone and computer. Use each the same amount every day, for communication and schoolwork. Desktop computer at home and the laptops in class for advanced placement physics online homework.
App award: Netflix and YouTube on my iPhone in the car, in spares at school or waiting for the bus. Netflix for movies and TV shows like The Vampire Diaries. YouTube for random funny videos.
Social media: don’t use Facebook, Twitter or Tumblr—too time consuming. There are other worthwhile things to spend time on.
eReader or print: real books for leisure. There’s something about lying in bed with a book. Computer for research and writing.
Book on the night table: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. We’re reading it at school. I enjoy the challenge.
Favourite fictional character: Harry Potter. Like his strength of character and determination.
Lasting life lesson: Work hard—always. Things can happen to bring you down, but it’s important to keep working. My parents, my inspiration, came to Canada to give their kids a better education.
Movies or documentaries, TV or online: both. Movies show creativity. You can learn important lessons from documentaries. A DVD at home on the couch to relax, but the theatre for a movie with friends.
Favourite spot in the world: my grandparents’ house in Pakistan where my family originally came from.
