Message to Science and Business class of 2020!

Dear students:

Let me congratulate all of you on completing your degree from University of Waterloo’s Science and Business program, and on a job well done! Your contributions to the program over the last 5 years have added amazing value to our community. Since 2005 from humble beginnings to our present strengths, we have come a long way. In partnerships with the program administration, you helped us create amazing entities: Science and Business Ambassadors, Science and Business Students Association, Fusion Conference, WatSolve, Teaching Assistants, and our student community support systems. I have a firm belief that institutions are built strong when there are sustainable partnerships among stakeholders, and I can proudly say that the SCBUS community is passionately knit together by those sustainable bonds.

As you get ready to enter the next phase of your life, I want to thank you for all the support you have given me as program advisor over the past many years. I am humbled by the friendships we have built and the great moments we have shared!

As we part ways, I want to leave you with some of my memorable moments of university life in 2019 with all of you. 

1.     Thanks Scibus Movember Fundraising Team for your innovative ways to have me agree to be “pie your professor” candidate. To do this Sylvia Phan, our scbus 223 TA had the greatest influence on me: Sylvia walked into my office and told me that I am doing this ??, and that she will be ready with a pie in the next while……….. rest can be seen in the picture, as Jessica Roes was also waiting with another pie!

2.     Thanks Science and Business Ambassador Team for helping me do “Katchin Up with Kashif” and help our First Years settle in university life. We talked about course selection, planning out your degree, potential post-grad options, and presentation from a Peer Success Coach.

3.     Thanks Jessica Roes, Sylvia Phan, and Sarah Qutaishat, in providing amazing support for my courses. Not only were you amazing as TA’s, but you made us proud in upholding the SCBUS TA tradition of going above and beyond the call of duty to support our first and second-year students in productively navigating university life.

4.     We continue to serve our global communities because we are not just scientists with business. We are scientists who understand our social environments, we are business people who understand our political landscapes, and we are people who respect and learn from our surroundings. In the spirit of serving community, we lead by example. I share a short story with you: In December 2019/January 2020 I had to rush to Pakistan in an emergency to take care of my father who was very sick. At that time one of my former student who has established a welfare community school asked me to come and speak to his grade 8-10 students in Karachi. As I navigated the small streets in a rickshaw to get to the school, I remembered how as a kid I used to play cricket on these same streets and eat spicy Pakistani street foods. My friends and I could not afford a cricket kit, so we contributed to buy one ball, one bat, and painted a stool as our wicket. We would play anywhere and everywhere, blocking any street or road, much to the indignation of the traffic flow and the police constable. These were the same streets where I grew up, and now I was going there to mentor kids who told me about their dreams and aspirations, just like any kid across the globe.

I had come a “full circle in life”, but I had arrived at the right place, the community where I started my global dreams.

My message: Go and serve your communities, they need you; the world is your playground, play to contribute, go find productivity and make each other strong and proud. Best wishes!

I leave you with some messages from our students:

1. Sinthusha Sivakumaran:

Hi Kashif, It’s Sinthusha! I wanted to take a minute to say thank you. You had given me the opportunity to change programs into science and business, and till date I believe that decision has been one of the best decisions I have ever undertaken. Thank you for being an amazing professor, and the love you have for science and business shows through your teachings. Thank you for being so kind and having your doors open for me to discuss my undergrad requirements when needed. I really appreciate all the help you have provided me over the years and all the help you gave to Fusion as well. I am so happy to have made all the decisions pertaining to my undergrad degree and thank you for making this journey that much more easier. I will definitely stay in touch, and come by and visit your office, if I am in waterloo! Hope you and your family are safe! Cheers, Sinthusha Sivakumaran

 2. Jaeleen Koscielski:

Hi Kashif, I also wanted to take a moment and thank you for everything over the past 3 years. I was hoping to meet with you in person towards the end of the term, but as we know that couldn't happen. I am so happy that I made an appointment with you so long ago to learn about the Science and Business program. I learned so much from the program from soft skills to technical skills and about myself as well. I really enjoyed your teaching style throughout the first and second year courses. Your teaching style doesn't just teach us information but life skills we will take to our co-ops and to our future careers. Thank you so much for responding to all my emails and giving me advice on courses and routes throughout my time in the program. Thanks again, Jaeleen Koscielski

3. Eartha J Phorson:

Hi Kashif, Hope all is well and that you and your family are staying safe during these crazy times. I just wanted to email you to thank you for everything that you have done during my time at Waterloo. From helping with SBAT, to academic support, I am grateful that I was able to meet you and so many other amazing people in the Scibus program. Best wishes, Eartha.

4.  David Phillips:

Hi Kashif, I hope you and your family are keeping well.  I just wanted to thank you for all of your contributions towards making my University experience an amazing one. Since the introduction to the program in SCBUS 123, I've felt welcomed and you've helped to cultivate an environment that was conducive to learning and building strong relationships. Your humor always kept the class engaged and you provided me with the knowledge that helped build the foundation of my business acumen. Additionally, I'd like to thank you for everything you have done for the Science and Business Ambassador Team; your guidance has been pivotal to the success of this group. I feel that I have grown as both a leader and person by being a member of this team and I am very grateful for this experience. Once again, thank you for everything and I wish you all the best! Hopefully we can catch up sometime in the near future. 

Best Regards, David Phillips