On June 1st, 2022, Mustafa Alzahran crossed the stage in the Fraser Auditorium after having earned his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Kinesiology from Laurentian University.
“He [President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Robert Haché] handed me my degree, everybody was clapping, and then my dad, very loudly, said ‘that’s one out of four,’ and the President gave him a thumbs up.”
The phrase “one out of four” spoken in this context by Mustafa’s father, Abdulhakim Alzahran, referred to the fact that the Alzahran family are proud to (so far) have had four of their children choose to study at Laurentian. The Alzahran family consists of father (Abdulhakim), mother (Khitam), and seven children. Eldest to youngest, these include Mohamed, Mustafa, Ahmad, Rida, Nour, Hanan and Rama. While Mustafa is now happy to have completed his education at Laurentian, his siblings Mohamed, Ahmad and Rida work towards the culmination of their own Laurentian degrees. Mohamed and Rida walk in similar academic footsteps as Mustafa, as both are enrolled in the University’s Kinesiology program. Ahmad is a Mechanical Engineering student.
The Alzahran family have dealt with much adversity. They refuged to Canada from Lebanon, where they resided from 2013 through 2016. Previous to 2013, they lived in Syria. They sought to refuge to a country where they could be free from systemic discrimination and ongoing war. Canada became an option to consider. This is especially because Canada could offer the Alzahran children excellent post secondary education. “It was our goal, all that time, me and my wife, education. We love education. We wanted that for our children,” said Abdulhakim.
When they arrived in Canada on January 6th, 2016, the Alzahran family described being warmly greeted at the airport. Though they had many challenges to face ahead, they spoke fondly about the kindness of people in Greater Sudbury, especially members of the Capreol United church who supported getting them settled in the Sudbury region. “All were very nice and kind,” said Khitam. “They were our teachers and helped us a lot…it made our lives much easier.” Added Mustafa: “it was a very long process to come to Canada. I was very excited….I wasn’t scared. It was a new experience for me.”
New to Canada, one particularly difficult challenge for the Alzahran family to overcome was a strong language barrier. “Nobody could speak English, just Mustafa. The whole family depended on him [and] we looked to Mustafa to translate,” said Khitam. For Mustafa specifically, “I was top in my class back in Syria but definitely that didn't translate here because I had to learn the language better.” Notably, it didn’t take Mustafa long to achieve excellence as a student at Confederation Secondary School. His siblings were also excelling academically.
In terms of his student experience at Laurentian, Mustafa described finding a welcoming community. For him, the university “definitely feels like home.” A highlight for Mustafa as a Kinesiology student was the opportunity to participate in annual outdoor school programming. This included learning acquired applied (experiential) wilderness canoe tripping skills such as canoeing, portaging, fire building, camp cooking, and shelter/tarp set up. “The outdoor schools were an amazing way for us to get to know each other as students… it really brought me closer to my classmates,” said Mustafa, who also spoke fondly about building strong relationships with his professors. “At Laurentian,... I didn’t feel like I was just a number. The profs wanted us to do well, they wanted to help, and you could see that.” Mustafa’s siblings, who are also Laurentian students, have themselves discovered a sense of community at the University. For example, Mohamed is the Kinesiology and Health Sciences Student Council’s Manager of Finance.
The Alzahran family has given so much back to the Sudbury community. “Canada, and specifically Sudbury, have given us a new life. I feel like it’s my duty and my siblings and parents’ duty to give back the best way we know how.” When the pandemic first hit, Mohamed engaged alongside students at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University to source, buy, and donate material to make masks for front-line workers and patients across twenty-four communities in Northern Ontario. Mohamed alone sewed 900 handmade masks. Mustafa volunteered nearly 300 hours of his time at Health Sciences North, assisting with the NEO Kids Foundation, especially as wayfinding informant. Both Mustafa and Mohamed are volunteers with St. John Ambulance.
Abdulhakim, who found work in truck driving, and Khitam, who is studying to become an early childhood assistant, spoke about their gratitude for the Sudbury and Laurentian communities. Stated Khitam: “My children, they work hard and I hope they can reach their goals.” Expressed Abdulhakim: “We are proud that our kids are studying at Laurentian.” Concluded Mustafa: “I’ve learned so much [and] I wouldn’t be the person that I am today if it weren’t for Laurentian….It is an amazing university.”
The Alzahran family plan to remain in Sudbury for the foreseeable future. Mustafa is currently studying at the University of Toronto to obtain a Master of Public Health (MPH) in the field of Indigenous Health. Upon completion of this graduate degree, he aspires to attend the Medical Doctor program offered at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University. Said Mustafa about the goals he hopes to achieve: “I know what I want and I will go get it, but just give me time.”
Undoubtedly, the Alzahran family will continue to make a positive impact on the Sudbury and Laurentian communities by persistently reaching for the stars and giving back to others. It won’t be long before Mohammad, Ahmad and Rida earn their degrees from Laurentian, and the opportunities are endless for Nour, Hanan and Rama.