2021 Troost ILead Difference Maker Award Winner
Morris Huang
Morris Huang (Year 4, MSE + PEY Co-op) has been selected as the first winner of the Troost ILead Difference Maker Award. As the Senior Managing Director of the education non-profit Global Spark over the past 4 years, Morris has built the organization to educate and mobilize 10,000+ university students across the world in global development and social entrepreneurship.
Morris has strong interests in education, social impact, and public policy. He aims to combine his passions for technology, policy, and multidisciplinary problem solving to create an inclusive and equitable education system where all learners have the access to the tools, resources, materials, support, and community they need. In his spare time, Morris enjoys swimming, badminton, meditating, playing guitar and travelling.
Read the full interview with Morris, the first Troost ILead Difference Maker Award winner.
2021 Troost ILead Difference Maker Award Finalists
Ramanpreet Chauhan
Preet is a 4th Year Civil Engineering student who aspires to make a difference in the world by empowering women in the vulnerable portions of our society. She grew up in a rural village in Northern India where she experienced challenges that millions of people around the globe face today. Her aspiration to help women combined with her passion for the renewable energy sector motivates her to empower women through clean energy initiatives. She has attained a Sustainable Energy minor, which helped her gain a holistic view of the global energy systems, along with the challenges faced by underserved populations around the globe. She has also received a certificate in Engineering Leadership, and she aims to utilize her engineering skills to make this world a better place for everyone.
“In 20 years, I want to be able to look back at my life and say that I did everything in my power to live up to my fullest potential and help as many people as I could along the way.”
Preet is strongly committed to using her Civil Engineering knowledge to benefit people around the world. She strives to see beyond herself, to reach out, and to identify with others at a personal level. She believes that focusing on strong communication skills, and approaching all situations with modesty and professionalism are the keys to her present and future success.
Axel Del Castillo
Axel Del Castillo is a 4th Year + PEY Materials Engineering Student at the University of Toronto. During his childhood, he accompanied his mother, who served as a dentist, to rural communities in the highlands and coast regions of Ecuador. Through visiting these rural communities, he observed the pollution from the extraction of minerals and petroleum and its effects on the health of locals. This experience motivated him to study for a career which would allow him to create sustainable materials that decrease the pollution generated by the extraction of their raw materials, industrial processing, and disposal. He came to Canada to pursue a Bachelors degree in Materials Engineering at UofT financed by a student loan from his home country. However, his student loan was cancelled after his first year of study leaving him without financial support to continue his education. He overcame this challenge by working on and off campus while studying. He received financial aid from his brother, the University of Toronto, and generous donors from a GoFundme campaign created for his last term.
His professional experiences have given him the opportunity to apply his leadership skills, developed through events hosted by the Troost ILead. In return, he learned how to work in teams in a fast paced workplace, and how to inspire people to become their best selves. Axel truly believes that he is an instrument of positive change and inspiration, so he became a mentor in the MSE mentorship program and the 4th year Class Representative.
One of Axel's long-term goals is to launch a company that focuses on the research and development of sustainable materials. In the upcoming years, he plans to pursue a graduate degree to specialize in biocomposites, and expand his professional network to help him realize these long-term goals. He plans to return to his country in future to become an educator to teach and inspire the future generations of Ecuadorian engineers to build a more sustainable country.
Alicia Hill-Turner
Molly McGrail
Eric van Velzen
Eric is graduating from the Aerospace specialization in the Engineering Science program with a Certificate in Engineering Leadership. Eric spent several years in leadership roles on the University of Toronto Aerospace Team’s Space Systems division, which is a student team that builds and launches small spacecraft. During his time on the team Eric has filled many roles including technical, leadership, and mentorship, while fostering his interest in space systems engineering.
Eric is also completing his undergraduate thesis research project which has been supervised by Dr. Olechowski and conducted in partnership with industry. His work investigated the impact of remote work on aerospace systems engineers in industry resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. A paper he wrote on his research was accepted for publication to the INCOSE 2021 International Symposium conference.
In the fall of 2021 Eric will begin his Master of Applied Science degree at U of T’s Space Flight Laboratory where he will join projects to design and deliver small spacecraft to organizations around the world. Through this apprenticeship-style degree, Eric will make contributions to the small spacecraft industry while receiving engineering training for state-of-the-art space missions
About The Troost ILead Difference Maker Award
Do you have a proven track record and a high commitment to making your community a better place? Are you an individual with dreams and the determination to get there? Are you a person who has actively expressed leadership and demonstrates a commitment to your own potential and ongoing development?
If the above is reflective of you, then we encourage you to apply for the Troost ILead Difference Maker Award. This one-time $50,000 award is for a remarkable 4th year undergraduate student who is ready to dream, launch and make the world a better place.
Visit the awards page for application details.