Keziah Gibbs - PETNA Scholarship Recipient

Feb 18
3 min read

Start Year

2020

Expected Graduation Date

2025

Degree

Bachelors of Science

Programme

Honors Life Sciences (Co-op)

Intended career path

Epidemiology or Biotechnology

Experience at McMaster

My time at McMaster University has been nothing short of incredible. I started in 2020 during the height of the pandemic while still in Grenada, which was a challenging experience. However, I was fortunate to have a strong support system that helped me navigate online learning. In 2021, I moved to Canada for in-person studies, and that’s when I truly began immersing myself in campus life.

A few months after arriving here, I was hired as a student staff of the university’s Black Student Success Centre where I met lifelong friends and mentors. During my time here, I was part of the planning committee of the school’s first-ever Black Excellence Graduation and its inaugural Welcome Week activities for over 200 Black-identifying students. These experiences were deeply rewarding, creating a sense of community and belonging for students like myself.

I also joined the Black Aspiring Physicians club, BAPMAC, which caters to students interested in healthcare careers. In 2022, I was elected Associate Director of Logistics where I helped to plan our annual healthcare conference, iRISE, which helped to connect aspiring healthcare professionals to others already in the field.

Another notable experience of mine, is my Co-op journey. I was fortunate to have a 16-month co-op placement with McMaster Engineering Outreach where I introduced students from kindergarten to Grade 12 to engineering and other STEM concepts through fun hands-on workshops. As someone who loves teaching others, it was the perfect opportunity to build my leadership and learn more about STEM while educating younger minds.

Currently, I am in my final semester of my undergraduate journey at McMaster. I enjoyed every bit of it, the academics, the work and the social life. This semester, I am a Teaching Assistant for one of my favorite courses, LIFESCI 2X03 (Environmental Change and Human Health). As an aspiring epidemiologist, I enjoy seeing the correlation of how climate change affects our health and now I can relay that knowledge to other students.

My time at McMaster has been truly transformative. Every professor, student, and mentor I have had and every class, conference, or event I have attended has molded me into a more confident, intelligent version of myself and, I am forever grateful for the impact this institution has had on my life.

The importance of the financial support you received from The PETNA Foundation

At 16 years old, I started doing what other teenagers would. I started looking at universities where I could pursue my dream. I stumbled upon McMaster University and for numerous reasons, decided that’s where I wanted to study. Even though my parents could not afford it, they were on board with my plan encouraging me there was nothing I wanted that I couldn’t achieve. As time went by, they started to lose hope because they could not financially support my dreams whilst supporting my other siblings, but I did not give up. In 2019, I learned about the Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite Award and without hesitation, I applied and was successful. The financial support I received from the PETNA Foundation has allowed me to excel in my academics without the burden of financial stress. I was able to focus on studying and participating in extracurricular activities that helped my holistic growth throughout the last five years. The Nicholas and Janice Brathwaite Award played a pivotal role in my success thus far, The Foundation has not only supported me financially, but they have also been a support system in helping to encourage and give me the confidence to aim high. I am eternally grateful for their generosity in helping me pursue my dreams.