CEPS Student Feature - Het Shah
Het chose an adventure when he decided to come to Canada, leaving his friends and family in Kuwait for the first time in his life. His first few months were a challenge, having to adapt and adjust to an entirely different language and culture, but after a while, he found himself a new home where he has made life-long friends.
Het Shah is a fourth year Environmental Engineering Co-Op Student born in Gujarat, India, and raised in Abu Halifa, Kuwait. When it was time to start thinking about what he was going to do after high school, his father encouraged him to apply to Universities in Canada. Het first heard about the University of Guelph after speaking with one of his family friends who had made the journey from Kuwait to Guelph to enroll in the Computer Engineering program the year prior. Het applied to several Canadian universities, such as Lakehead and Windsor, but ultimately ended up choosing the University of Guelph after reading about the engineering program, hearing about his friend’s positive experience, and watching YouTube videos showcasing the campus.
Het arrived in Canada for the Fall 2019 semester alongside his family friend, where he moved into south residence. He was able to make lots of connections during o-week, where he got to know his residence-mates and explore the Guelph campus and city. He said, “the University did a great job of making me feel welcome and connecting me to other international students and students in my program to help ease the transition.” He was able to attend several events hosted for international students like the START international orientation program and the International Student Organization, which helped him feel at home. He recalls going to places like Canada’s Wonderland and the CN Tower, where he also got to explore Toronto.
“I was able to make lots of good friends in first-year, I met people from all around the world, including other international students and people from Canada.” With his first language being Gujarati, Het faced a language barrier in his first few months, having to adjust to communicating only in English through his social life and classes. Acclimating to the Canadian temperatures and snow was difficult at first, but he has grown to enjoy it over time, and he loves how beautiful the campus is after a snowfall. He noted that the people he met in Guelph are “extremely friendly, like very friendly.” One of Het’s favourite parts of first year was participating in Intramurals, where he was able to play soccer and meet new friends, who he has continued to team up with and play with throughout his years here.
Het began in the Mechanical Engineering program, before switching into Environmental Engineering where there was a greater focus on his favourite subjects of chemistry and biology. He also enjoys calculus and math, with his favourite course being MATH1210. “I like all of the teaching staff and my professors, they are always very flexible and understanding”, he said, “I enjoy the mix of hands-on lab work and lecture material, I feel I am able to apply what I learn in class in the labs.”
Through the University of Guelph Co-op program, Het has been able to gain valuable experience while obtaining his degree. His first placement was with Polycote Performance Coating in Vaughn, Ontario. His responsibilities included checking wastewater samples, ensuring metrics were in accordance with the Peel Region standards, maintaining waterquality and alkalinity, and verifying processes ran smooth andthere were no defective parts or machinery. This placement helped Het gain work experience in his field and explore a different part of the province, which was just a subway ride away from downtown Toronto. His next placement is with Water's Edge Environmental Solutions Team in Cambridge, Ontario, where he will be a junior Water Resource Engineer.
Het isn’t sure what he wants to do after graduation next year, but he’s looking forward to completing the final year of his degree. He currently lives with two other students from Kuwait, who he enjoys spending time with playing games and exploring everything Guelph has to offer. With the connections he’s made through school and his experiences through co-op, he hopes to continue his professional development in Canada.