Student Ambassadors
Questions? Concerns? Who better to
answer them than our current students! The Student Ambassador page
allows you to learn more about the kinds of people who make mechanical
engineering a fantastic program. We are very proud of our students;
they are a remarkable, bright group of men and women - Canada’s future
leaders. These students have included their email address so that you
can contact them directly with any questions you have about life at
UTMIE. Please direct all admissions questions to ask-at-ecf.utoronto.ca.
 Ramy
Ghattas,
Class of 2008
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
(commutes by TTC from Markham)
Interests: Ramy enjoys keeping himself busy
- in his free time, he likes to design and build robotics for
competitions. Ramy enjoys basketball and is an avid tennis player. In
addition, Ramy enjoys exploring different neighborhoods and cuisines.
University
Life: Ramy is currently
president of the UofT Robotics Association (UTRA), Co-Chair of the MIE
Mentorship Program and a Mentor at UTFIRST. A member of MIE Club,
Leaders of Tomorrow and PACE Global Vehicle Design, Ramy also serves as
a Religious Officer of the Coptic Orthodox Students Association (COSA).
Advice to new
students: "I would advise you not to be
afraid in your classes, ask questions and challenge yourself. Don't
forget to also have some fun."
Future
Hopes: Ramy hopes to
work within the field of robotics and to one day start his own company.
Contact Ramy: ramy.ghattas at utoronto.ca
 Chris
Siemieniuch,
Class of 2010
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
(either drives or commutes by TTC)
Interests: Chris is very athletic and
actively plays hockey, tennis, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, squash,
volleyball, golf (and snowboards in the winter). Chris is an avid
musician (clarinet,
saxophone and flute) and has taken up photography.
University
Life: Chris is actively involved with
the UofT Formula SAE Team and is a tenor saxophone player with the
Engineering Stage Band. He represents UofT at the Division 1 level in
both hockey and lacrosse. This upcoming year, Chris plans to be
involved with Mech Club and to build spirits by being a F!rosh group
leader.
Advice to new
students: "If you focus only on
school work, it will drain you, and you will not enjoy your time.
[University] years go by quick, so enjoy them."
Future
Hopes: While he would
like to maintain an interest in race cars, Chris plans to obtain an MBA
and ultimately start his own company and expand the business.
Contact Chris: chris.siemieniuch at utoronto.ca
 Ellen
Turner,
Class of 2010
Hometown: Oakville, Ontario
(commutes by GO, subway, public bus)
Interests: Ellen has no shortage of
interests - she enjoys cooking, reading, music (guitar, singing),
sketching, painting, running, biking, soccer, basketball, frisbee,
volunteering (WWF, Heart & Stroke Foundation) and environmentalism
(100 mile diet).
University
Life: On campus, Ellen enjoys attending
Engineering Dinner Dances, S-Dance and Suds events. To relax, Ellen
plays pick-up basketball at Hart House.
Advice to new
students: "Advice I would give would
be not to be shy. University is your chance to start fresh, to be who
you want to be and to find kindred spirits. There is no such thing as
'too outgoing' in UofT Engineering so go for it!"
Future
Hopes: Ellen hopes to
take a PEY in her 4th year and work in Ireland - her ultimate goal is
to work as a Biomedical Engineer in Ireland.
Contact Ellen:
ellen.turner at
utoronto.ca
 Zayyan Chowdhury,
Class of 2011
Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh (lives
on residence: New College)
Interests: Zayyan lives and breathes
soccer, always finding time to play and to stay up to date with the
sport. He enjoys spending time outdoors, be it playing volleyball,
cricket or even taking a trek through the wilderness. Zayyan enjoys
listening to a variety of music, playing drums, reading and watching
movies.
University
Life: Zayyan is very
involved at his residence - he is a New College tour guide and a member
of the house council. A member of the Bangladeshi and Muslim Student
Associations, Zayyan also plays for the Lady Godiva Memorial Band.
Advice to new
students: "Get
out of high school mode! Engineering is a BIG challenge - just
because you were acing HS doesn't mean you'll survive here!"
Future
Hopes: Hoping to
graduate with a minor in Biomedical Engineering, Zayyan plans to make a
contribution to the world through Engineering design for healthcare.
Contact Zayyan: zayyan.chowdhury at
utoronto.ca
 Kyle
Booth,
Class of 2010
Hometown: Etobicoke, Ontario
(commutes)
Interests: Kyle describes himself as a very
active guy, and finds himself balancing time between various sports
(hockey, soccer, golf, baseball) and hobbies (home robotics, reading,
writing). Kyle also loves music and plays the guitar and trombone.
University
Life: On campus Kyle is involved with
numerous sports, including hockey and ultimate frisbee. He's looking
forward to joining the Robotics Club for the upcoming academic year.
Advice to new
students: "Time
management is your best friend. Secondly, have a bit of a social life.
Lastly, mingle! Get involved, as you can make friends in weird places,
and some of these people will turn out to help you in places you never
imagined."
Future
Hopes: Kyle hopes to get
into the field of Energy and work as a professional Engineer for a few
years before going back to school and getting his MBA.
Contact Kyle: kyle.booth at utoronto.ca
 Julie Hommik,
Class of 2010
Hometown: North York, Ontario
(lives in off-campus housing, walks)
Interests: Above all, Julie loves to dance -
anwyhere, anytime, any kind. When she's not dancing, she makes sure to
spend time with friends, grab a coffee, go shopping or watch friends
playing Intramural Hockey games.
University
Life: Julie is
currently the Mech Club Vice-Chair, F!rosh Week Charity Sub-Chair and
Concrete Canoe Co-Padding Coach. An athlete for Varsity Figure Skating,
Julie still finds time to be a Skule Sisters Mentor. Her other
activities include intramural broomball, innertube waterpolo, EWB, FSAE
and being a F!rosh Leedur.
Advice to new
students: It is essential to dedicate
enough time to your friends and to having fun, and a great way to
do this is to get involved in extra-curriculars. I made the mistake in
first year of not getting involved; I enjoyed second year so much more
after getting involved an a vast array of activities. The easiest
way to adjust to University is to keep doing what you love.
Future
Hopes: My future
hopes are not yet concrete, with many possible careers still being
considered. These include biomedical engineering, renewable
energy engineering, business, and academia. I'm hoping that my
next year on PEY will help guide me towards finding my ultimate career.
Contact Julie: julie.hommik at
utoronto.ca
 Saptarshi
Chakraborty,
Class of 2011
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario (walks
to campus)
Interests: Saptarshi maintains a diverse
range of interests, including swimming, drawing, reading scientific
books and staying up to date with current world affairs.
University
Life: On campus, Saptarshi is involved
with many clubs - he is a current member of ASME and EWB. He is often
found volunteering, helping out with anything from Career sessions, the
DEEP programme or even Formula SAE Club.
Advice to new
students: "To
succeed in First Year, always be proactive in asking questions, attend
class and complete assignments on time. Study in groups of like-minded
friends. Do not neglect studies in First Year, as completing it
successfully is the first major milestone in higher education."
Future
Hopes: Saptarshi
wishes to pursue either Mechatronics or Solid Mechanics as his core
study stream along with Energy & Environment.
Contact Saptarshi: saptarshi.chakraborty at
utoronto.ca
 Alexander
Pazionis,
Class of 2011
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
(commutes, lives near U of T)
Interests: Alexander enjoys writing short
stories, reading, watching movies and TV shows,
playing video games and programming in C++. Alexander likes to dance
and exercise - his favorite physical activities are basketball and
jogging.
University
Life: Alexander holds a number of
leadership positions on campus, as the First Year Representative of
ASME, MECH Club and the
Engineering Society (EngSoc). Alexander is also a member of the
UofT Swing Dance Club.
Advice to new
students: "If you do the homework every
day, study before quizzes, tests and exams there is no reason you can't
get straight A's, even with your hobbies, significant
other and clubs. Just don't overdo it on the extra-curriculars."
Future
Hopes: Alexander is
considering a few prospects at the moment - his current choices are
NASA scientist or neurosurgeon.
Contact Alexander: alexander.pazionis at
utoronto.ca
 Marc Pilon,
Class of 2010
Hometown:
Ottawa, Ontario
(lives on residence: Innis Residence)
Interests: Marc loves
playing video games with friends, playing baseball, skiing (alpine and
cross-country), swimming and cooking
University Life: Working with
his strengths of making a scene,
Marc currently is director of publicity for Women in Science in
Engineering
(WISE), membership director for the U of T American Society of
Mechanical
Engineers (ASME), director of publicity
for the Engineering Society and writes articles for The Cannon
(newspaper) and
volunteers with Hi-Skule and MIE as a tour guide.
Advice to new students: "A
fair balance of
academics and extracurricular involvement is the key to success. Learn
what
works for you, so that you enjoy your time here too! You come to school
to learn, you stay because of the great experiences!"
Future Hopes: Unsure of
what the future holds, Marc is hoping to return to Ottawa
to work within the government of Canada.
Contact Marc: m.pilon at utoronto.ca
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