Hayam El-Asswad

Hey everyone! It is very nice to meet you all :)

My name is Hayam El-Asswad and I'm currently a 3rd year DEM and Political Science student. Here's a little about me and my personality; I’m a originally Lebanese and I'm a social Pisces who ADORES travelling, learning about different cultures and eating different types of food (especially fettuccini alfredo🍝... literally drooling just thinking about the white sauce and CHEESE 🧀 HAHAH). Oh and of course chocolate🍫 how could I forget. 

I'll give a very short and summarized description on what my university journey so far looks like: I graduated in Dubai from the IB Diploma and came to Toronto in 2019 (alone and anxious) with no previous work experience 👨🏼‍🎓. I remember being completely lost and overwhelmed in my first year. I kept questioning if I'm in the right program (which btw I changed my program at the end of my first year from management to DEMA, so if you are having these thoughts it is COMPLETELY NORMAL), or if I'll ever be able to get experience given that anything you apply for requires previous experience. I didn't get involved, didn't do anything else unrelated to course work. I literally just used to go to university finish lectures and catch the next bus back home 🏠. I got to my second year and decided to change. I promised myself I would maintain my grades but that I needed to do something else. I needed to GROW ⬆️. This change is what has shaped me into the person I'm today. From volunteering, to getting involved on campus, to applying to associate positions, to attending events, to networking with professionals and professors, I ensure that I keep growing. Here I am today, the Head of Events and Director of the DEMA association, Mentor to the ICCT Mentorship Program and a Research Assistant working alongside with the Director of the ICCIT Department at UTM, Professor Tracey Bowen.

As you can tell, I'm super excited to be a mentor for the ICCIT mentorship program this year🤩. Since everything has been online due to the pandemic, these students have not had the opportunity to discover the hidden gems at UTM, experience the on-campus lifestyle and most importantly meet new people and join more opportunities on campus. That being said, one of the goals I set for myself this year, was to give back to the ICCIT community and help out 1st and 2nd year students develop themselves to their very best potential and enjoy their university life, meet new people and become more more involved in UTM. 

If students would give me the privilege of being their mentor for this academic year, I will do my absolute best to make students feel comfortable, included and supported. Just know that with me, there are absolutely no bad or awkward questions 😇. I am a very open-minded person, so you can literally talk to me about anything (what you had for breakfast, who your favorite artist is, favorite food, if socks go with sandals, career aspirations, or life in general). I'm literally down to talk about anything and everything, so feel free to contact me whenever! 📱

I also wanted to say that I totally understand this (EXTREMELY) overwhelming feeling of starting university... Especially when it is ONLINE 💻 and you have never been or seen the campus before! BUT... DO NOT and I mean DO NOT worry. This is completely normal and just know that you are not alone because Hayam's got you! 😄

I am super excited to help you with your university journey and give you the tools you need to succeed, because these are going to be some of the best and most memorable experiences of your life!