UCalgary student receives 3M National Student Fellowship

From student to scholar and advocate, Shafaq Batool champions her identity and the intersection between advocacy and scholarship. 

The latest UCalgary recipient of the 2025 3M National Student Fellowship is a Kashmiri Muslim woman, researcher, and advocate whose work bridges the realms of academia, activism, and the intimate spaces of identity and belonging. A third-year Psychology (BSc) student in the Arts and Science Honours Academy (ASHA), Shafaq has been inspired by her work both on and off campus. 

From her earliest days at University of Calgary, she has grounded her work in grassroots organizing, viewing care as both a political and personal act. Her research in neuroimaging, spanning space health with Dr. Giuseppe Iaria PhD at NeuroLab and developmental populations with Dr. Catherine Lebel PhD, at the Alberta Children’s Hospital, reflects her commitment to understanding how scientific inquiry can serve diverse communities.

When asked what inspired her to apply for the 3M fellowship, Shafaq credits her youth advocacy work, which inspired her to centre marginalized voices through research with Dr. Paul Stortz PhD on a SSRHC-funded project looking at postsecondary institutions across Canada. 

Her advocacy has ranged from leading the Khairiyiat Women’s Health Equity Network, to spearheading equity-focused initiatives rooted in the belief that no one should have to navigate wellbeing, university or life alone. Moreover, as a youth advisor for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, she has worked alongside youth advocates from across Canada, to listen, understand their needs and help shape nationwide policy.  

Across scientific and social inquiry, she challenges exclusionary structures and redefines who gets to be heard. As a member of CCUNESCO’s (Canadian Commission for UNESCO) Youth Advisory Group, Shafaq contributed to the policy development and toolkits that empower young advocates to navigate and transform institutions through the Supporting Youth Navigating Change Together (SYNCTogether) initiative and by serving on the governance committee. 

Her work is fueled by a deep sense of responsibility: to her heritage, her community, and the futures she hopes to shape. She believes knowledge should be liberating, not gatekept, and she’s here to make that happen.

Shafaq leads as both a scholar and an advocate, she’s aware there’s no obligation to choose one or another. She hopes to leverage this interdisciplinary perspective alongside fellow students in her 3M cohort.

Shafaq’s philosophy? Centring community 

Community-building is truly at the centre of Shafaq’s leadership approach. Her commitment is evident through her extensive involvement both on and off campus. In particular, her work with Khairiyiat Women’s Health Equity Network, which for Shafaq was a central piece of her 3M Student Fellowship Application. As the network’s founder, Shafaq finds deep fulfillment in spotlighting health concerns affecting the South Asian and immigrant communities, by creating opportunities for awareness and advocacy.

When asked about her purpose and motivation, she brings up ‘Ehsas’, a concept that shapes the South Asian community and all the work she does: “To understand the weight of one’s actions and the weight of inaction”. This sense of ethical responsibility is the guiding force behind her advocacy, which is informed by her own and her community’s lived experiences. 

“It is a wholehearted understanding I have of what I can do to make things better for the communities I have interacted with and been a part of. 

"There is a deep-rooted personal mission here in guiding what I want to do and advocating for people and a lot of the time it comes from what my community, friends and family have experienced collectively”.

Leadership and mentorship

As a first‑generation immigrant student, Shafaq understands the hurdles faced by marginalized changemakers who may feel overwhelmed by the prospects of taking up space:

 “Oftentimes, if you come from a marginalized background, being a changemaker is not something that you believe you can do or you have the resources to do, but it really is a matter of finding the right mentorship and just being consistently passionate and strong willed about what you want to do.  Opportunities come and go and you just have to make sure that you take the shot to apply and believe that you'll get it.”

Shafaq’s involvement in the First-Generation Mentorship program, ASPIRE and the Psychology Mentorship Programme are a testament to her giving back mindset. Shafaq’s response to hurdles is to find mentorship and champion yourself. She emphasizes mentorship as the key to bridging resource gaps and building confidence, not only as a mentor but also as a mentee. 

Shafaq views the Scholars Academy program as significant in her 3M Student Fellowship application process. 

“Scholars Academy played a paramount role, and I think the most fundamental role that it played was in the aspect of mentorship”. As she recounts, the application process took some intensive reflection on aligning what leadership, identity and innovation meant for her.  

Shafaq credits the support of Scholars Academy, including past 3M National Student Fellow, Douye Igoniderigha, and Dr. Jared Secord, Program Director of Scholars Academy, for his unwavering support throughout the application journey. 

The impact of representation 

For Shafaq, receiving the 3M National Student Fellowship represents more than a personal achievement. It’s about paving the way for others.

“Getting awards like this is a testament to the younger students who come after me; who deserve the opportunity and the ability to believe in themselves.” “That’s someone who looks like me, who can do something like this.”

Shafaq will attend the 3M Student Fellowship Conference, held June 10–13, 2025, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Alongside nine other awardees from universities across Canada, she will participate in the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education (STLHE) conference. There, she will engage with fellow student recipients and 3M Teaching Fellows alike.

Additionally, she will gain access to a two-year STLHE membership, covering conference registration, travel, and accommodations. She will also have the opportunity to develop a funded project on teaching and learning in collaboration with her cohort, an opportunity she is immensely grateful for.

“Personally, it's a moment of healing, to reaffirm what I’m always told by my mentors: that I am capable of what I want to do. Professionally, it’s a call to action to continue bridging research with equity, with community, and with policy. And to ensure that the personal experiences of marginalized individuals are always at the forefront of reform and innovation in higher education”

We can’t wait to see how Shafaq’s journey continues to evolve and the insights the 2025 3M Fellowship cohort will bring to light.