“Whether through community involvement, educational pursuits or entrepreneurship, these youth truly have the ‘wow’ factor and are making a powerful difference,” says Jesse Card, executive director of Youth Ottawa. His organization has empowered youth in this city for the past 28 years via tailored programs, resources, training and mentoring.
The 21 Under 21 Awards were formerly known as the Spirit of the Capital Awards. The awards gala, presented by RBC and hosted by Youth Ottawa, will take place on November 5 at the Canadian Museum of History. But The Gee has a sneak peek here for you!
Alador Bereketab
Faculty of Medicine
Alador is a first-year medical student. She founded McMaster University’s Black Health Conference, a student-led equity initiative, and led the Black BHSc Association during her undergraduate degree in health sciences. Beyond academia, she co-founded the Abel Mengistab Memorial Foundation, a registered charity supporting youth mental health. It has awarded $10,000 in scholarships, reaching more than 5,000 students across Ontario with mental health advocacy, workshops and panels. Alador is also a professional violinist who blends classical music with Afrobeats, R&B and hip-hop.
Sammita Chowdhury
Faculty of Science
Biomedical science student Sammita has worked to support marginalized youth and combat gender-based violence as a member of the Purple Sisters Youth Advisory Committee with the Youth Services Bureau. Her activism has led to national discussions on housing and youth equity. At uOttawa, she has supported students with disabilities as a note-taking assistant, volunteered at CHEO and The Ottawa Hospital to connect patients with research and earned the 2025 Outstanding Youth Volunteer Award from Volunteer Ottawa.
Ibrahim Ghani
Faculty of Medicine
Ibrahim, a translational and molecular medicine student, excels in sports and research. He founded the Barrhaven Squash Club, growing it to hundreds of players and raising more than $10,000 for local causes. He also promotes squash across Ontario and is helping it get ready for Olympic inclusion in 2028. A two-time NSERC-funded researcher and published author, he performed a meta-analysis on transcranial magnetic stimulation for psychiatric conditions, reflecting his drive to improve mental health outcomes. He now supervises three student research teams and contributes to studies in orthopedics, neuroscience and primary care access.
Ezana Ghedam
Faculty of Medicine
Losing his best friend to cancer inspired Ezana to pursue chemistry research, with a focus on improving diagnostic imaging so diseases can be detected earlier. As co-president of Learning for Charity, he has led over 100 tutors and raised over $12,000 for pediatric research at CHEO. As assistant director for Black youth in STEM and a translational and molecular medicine team lead with Let’s Talk Science, he organizes hands-on outreach that brings science to underrepresented communities. He has also received two national research scholarships for his work developing diagnostic tools for heart disease.
Khelan Gidda
Faculty of Science
Fourth-year biomedical science student Khelan was a provincial-level soccer player until a chronic injury ended his run as a competitive player. He turned the setback into something positive by coaching competitive youth soccer and co-founding the uOttawa Sports Medicine Club to promote student wellness and injury prevention. He has supported orthopedic clinical trials at The Ottawa Hospital and contributed to research on primary care access in Ottawa. Currently, he works as a frailty health coach, helping older adults with chronic conditions to maintain independence. He also runs a wellness social media account, @keepfitkhelan, which has surpassed 250,000 views.
Angelyn Joseph
Faculty of Science
Angelyn, a first-year biomedical science student, led 60 volunteers to raise over $86,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society as chair of her high school’s Relay for Life committee. She also co-founded Lines of Laughter, a mental wellness campaign that brought laughter therapy to 2,000 youth. As Food for the Capital co-president, she helped collect 17,000 pounds of food for families in need across Ottawa. Her curiosity for science has taken her from Professor Mireille Khacho's lab at uOttawa — studying mitochondria and muscle stem cells — to publishing her own research on using AI to diagnose multiple sclerosis.
Tomor Sopa
Faculty of Health Sciences
Health sciences student Tomor believes medicine and music can heal, inspire and bring people together. Tomor conducts research in Professor Mona Nemer’s cardiac lab, teaches at Oxford Learning and volunteers at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute and other health-related organizations. Once a struggling English student, he transformed his challenges into triumphs, later becoming an instructor to help others achieve their goals. An accomplished performer on numerous instruments, from the bassoon to the violin, he has performed alongside world-class musicians at Rideau Hall and many benefit concerts.
Grace Leah Tongue
Faculty of Health Sciences
As president of Connecting Young Minds, Grace revitalized this student-run club, turning it into uOttawa’s largest bilingual undergraduate research conference. It engages more than 300 students annually and publishes the work of over 100 researchers. A health sciences student, she has also helped to raise over $200,000 for CHEO as director of logistics for the Commerce and Administration Student Charity Organization (CASCO), another uOttawa club, as well as $15,000 for pediatric research through tutoring. She volunteers weekly in the oncology and emergency departments at CHEO, works as a gastroenterology student-researcher and mentors peers through study groups.
Maryam Yassin
Faculty of Medicine
Maryam has just started her master’s in epidemiology and applied health research, but she’s already making her mark through her health research and community leadership. At the CHEO Research Institute, she has contributed to projects studying rare diseases as well as major fundraising and outreach initiatives. She has also harnessed her leadership skills to serve worthy causes like Relay For Life, Canadian Blood Services and Let’s Talk Science. This work shows her commitment to equity and innovation in health.
Ankita Jain
Faculty of Health Sciences
A national-level chess player, Ankita founded the Kanata Chess Academy, Ottawa’s largest youth chess organization. It has introduced more than 200 children to the game while raising thousands of dollars for cancer research, food security and local charities. Under her leadership, chess has become a tool for learning and solidarity. Her story has inspired girls across Canada, including six of her students, who qualified for and played in the 2025 Canadian Youth Chess Championship in British Columbia. She’s also preparing to publish a book that shares the experiences of girls in chess, written to encourage others navigating barriers in STEM and sport.
Krishnpriya Singh
Faculty of Health Sciences
Recent graduate Krishnpriya stands out for her record of excellence and her forward thinking. After participating in research projects at The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and the Bruyère Health Research Institute, she’s taking her intellectual commitment to the next level with a master’s in bioethics at Harvard Medical School. At the same time, she’s working as a junior strategic adviser at the Canadian Medical Association. There, she’s leveraging her analytical skills to rethink issues related to ethics and compassion in modern medicine. She embodies a vision of leadership where critical thinking and global ambition go hand in hand.
This content was created through uOttawa’s partnership with Youth Ottawa. Other partners supporting the organization include RBC, Carleton University, OakWood, United Way East Ontario, Fullscript, Sidi.io, Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata, Storm Internet, Enbridge and the Ottawa Business Journal.