2026 William Muir Edwards Award - Sanaa Bhaidani

Growing up, Sanaa Bhaidani thought of becoming a neuroscientist. But after a conversation with her older brother, who gently reminded her of the long academic journey that would involve, she found herself imagining a different path — one she had never considered before — and she ended up applying to engineering at the University of Alberta. 

Now in her final year in the Faculty of Engineering’s software engineering co-op program, Bhaidani looks back with gratitude at the many opportunities she’s had to be for others what her older brother has always been for her — a mentor and enthusiastic supporter.

For a class project in her final year of high school, Bhaidani and a couple of friends launched a free tutoring program for students across Edmonton in kindergarten through Grade 9. As a child, she had participated in Kumon classes outside of school, and while she remembers resisting it at the time, she also came to understand how privileged she was that her family could afford to help her in this way. “When I thought of the tutoring program, one of the primary motivators was to make education more accessible, because for something like Kumon, you have to be financially stable to give your kids that opportunity.”

Now almost six years later, the program attracts up to 200 volunteer tutors every year from high schools and universities, who are paired with students in the Edmonton Public School Boards system. When she’s not in class or studying, Bhaidani works with a small group to run the program throughout the school year. “I love managing the team and I love watching it grow every year,” she says. “Seeing students gain confidence and take something meaningful away from the program is probably the most rewarding part.”

Meanwhile, within the Faculty, Bhaidani has brought her passion for mentoring and leadership to several roles since beginning her degree. As a co-op ambassador, she has been part of a panel that hosts high school students on campus, answering questions from prospective students and their families about the benefits of participating. Ambassadors also make themselves available to first-year students who are considering applying to the program. She also has held positions within the Engineering Students’ Society, and is now vice-president of external relations. She looks forward to taking part in outreach to schools in rural and Indigenous communities. “It means a lot to be able to encourage and hopefully empower young people to pursue a career they might not have thought was an option for them,” she says.

“Ultimately, my goal is to increase representation in the field,” Bhaidani goes on to say. “I think it’s easier to imagine yourself somewhere when you can see someone like you already there." And that’s what motivates her participation in Team Up Science, an outreach program located on the U of A campus that offers workshops in STEAM fields to traditionally underrepresented young people. “Showing them that they’re allowed to be in this space means a lot to me,” she says, and adds that it’s especially important to her to be that model for girls. “I didn't have that person growing up. When I heard of an engineer, it was always a male,” she says.

Bhaidani looks forward to using both the hard skills she’s learned throughout her degree, and her passion for community- and relationship-building, once she graduates. She dreams of perhaps starting her own company in the future, providing opportunities for young people like her that once needed support and encouragement. “I want young women and people from underrepresented backgrounds to see someone like them in engineering and think, ‘I could do that too.’ That’s the kind of impact I hope to have,” she says.

Named in honour of the Faculty of Engineering’s founding professor, the William Muir Edwards Citizenship Award recognizes Engineering at Alberta undergraduate students who have made exceptional contributions to society. It’s a celebration of citizenship and of engineering students who go to extraordinary lengths to make our world a better place. Special thanks to the David Morris Family Foundation for supporting our students and making the William Muir Edwards Citizenship Awards possible. 

Do you know an undergraduate student whose volunteerism, contributions, and efforts, both on-campus and off-campus, work to make the world a better place? Learn more about the nomination process.