Sondos Zayed, Health Science

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Making discoveries in science and debating

Health Science student, Sondos Zayed, had many reasons to choose Vanier. "I love the sense of community at Vanier. For example, Universal Break, something quite special at Vanier, allows you to make new friends. Because so many students gather in the same areas during UB, it also helps strengthen the connections between them and gives students the opportunity to find out about other people, clubs, and activities at the College."

Universal Break – a unique opportunity to get involved in College life and activities

Universal Break, or UB as Vanier students call it, is a 2-hour lunchtime break every Wednesday when no classes are given in any program so all students are free. It's a lively time, crackling with activities and entertainment; information booths and displays; food fairs and bake sales; concerts and art exhibitions; as well as the traditional Welcome Week corn roast and end-of second semester VCSA BBQ.

Finding the Debate Club

"Everyone is friendly and there are tons of activities," says Sondos. "It's during UB that I visited a booth and discovered the Vanier College Social Justice Committee, the Muslim Student Association, and especially the Debate Club. I've been brought up with the values of justice and equality close to heart, so being an active member of the Debate Club allows me to express my views and opinions about things happening around the world. Also, as a member of these clubs, I'm always busy attending meetings and activities for each. It's great fun!"

23rd Debating Competition of the Bar of Montreal

Sondos' participation in the Debate Club led her and fellow classmate Nour Boudalia, to represent Vanier at the semi finals of the 23rd Debating Competition of the Bar of Montreal. The competition encourages Cegep students in Montreal to publicly defend a position on a current legal and controversial subject. This year the topic was: "Raising the age to obtain a driver's license – For or against?"

Meeting judges and learning about the law

"The Debate Club was quite a thrill," says Sondos. After winning the Vanier finals, Sondos and Nour were surprised to discover they had to present themselves one week later at the Palais de Justice for the grand competition.

To help them prepare, Judith Bessette, a Vanier teacher who graduated from law school arranged for them to meet with two judges for a practice debate. "We even had a back and forth discussion with two judges at the Montreal courthouse. They gave us some great insight into what practicing law truly entailed. We then had a weekend to do more research on our arguments and to refine and restructure them before the competition on Tuesday night."

We can do anything we want in life.

"We knew we'd be debating against the best of the best. We had to catch on quickly and respond fast. Joshua Berman of The Learning Centre had given us tips on public speaking, and Ms. Bessette as well as Mr. Timothy Budde, a Humanities teacher, refined our counter arguing skills with practice sessions. They all provided us with immense help and support."

Determination and Perseverance

"Looking back, and seeing how we managed to accomplish so much in so little time, I'm now convinced that we can certainly do anything we want in life, determination and perseverance leading the way."

Her real passion: Science

So is Sondos thinking of studying law? "Although my debating experience was wonderful, I believe my passion for science will always dominate." Indeed, when asked about the Health Science program, her face lights up. "I'm learning and discovering things I could have never even imagined existed! Take, for example, the wave-particle duality of electrons in Quantum Physics, and Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle. Nature really is something! And all of these little surprises about how our world really works only make me want to discover so much more!"Dreaming of science, research and teaching

Sondos has one more year to go before she graduates, but she's already thinking about the future. "I'm greatly interested in academia. I'm also considering my options: university studies in neuroscience, immunology or medicine. Eventually, I would like to complete a PhD in neuroscience so that I can do research and teach as well."