Humanities/Arts & Science valedictorian Mona Haider says that during her time at Mac she’s become someone who embraces challenges and opportunities – and looking at her activities over the past four years, that’s easy to believe.

She’s a professional photographer, a classical singer, and she’ll be graduating this spring with a double major in Communication Studies and French. Oh, and she was president of the Communications and Media Arts Society, and an undergraduate rep for the Department of French.

She’s certainly been recognized for her accomplishments, receiving several French scholarships, and, as a graduand, will receive the Dean’s Medal for Excellence in the Humanities. Not only that, she’s also received Gold Standing awards at the Oakville Vocal Arts Festival and the Hamilton Music Festival.

She’ll be attending law school at the University of Ottawa next year.

What’s your proudest Mac moment? 

My proudest Mac moment would have to be hosting and MCing the Communications and Media Arts Industry Night, a department-wide professional networking event, at the Phoenix in 2024. 

It was the first time I’d organized an event of that size, and it took months of preparation. Getting up on stage to welcome an audience of more than 60 students, faculty and alumni is a feeling that I’ll never forget. The night ran seamlessly, and I was incredibly proud of and thankful to my CMAS executive team for bringing my idea to life.  

My main objective when elected CMAS president was to strengthen the Communications network at McMaster in order to create enriching opportunities for students and alumni. This event felt like a manifestation of my goal: I watched in real time as students connected beyond the classroom, swapped LinkedIns, and even secured internship interviews from the panelists. 

The success of that event turned it into an annual tradition, and I had the honour of hosting it again in January 2025. 

How do you hope to make a brighter future? 

I hope to stand as a point of representation for South Asian women. As a classical singer, I rarely saw anyone who looked like me in musical setting. Then, when I translated my performance skills to public speaking and leadership in university, I also felt that there weren’t many South Asian women in public-facing roles who I could relate to. 

Many of us grew up discouraged from being “too loud” or “taking up too much space” – but being loud and confident in myself is exactly what led me to success. I’ll be starting law school at the University of Ottawa in September, and I hope that any brown girl who wants to be ambitious and creative can look to people like me to assure themselves that their aspirations are achievable. 

What’s one word you’d use to describe your Mac experience? 

Encouraging. It comes as a surprise to most people when I tell them that I was not at all involved in my high school student community. I struggled a lot with my self-confidence, and I didn’t see myself as a “club person.”  

But throughout my time at Mac, I’ve grown into someone who embraces challenges and opportunities. I took the leap to apply for CMAS photographer at the end of first year, and landing that role really settled me into the McMaster student community.  

I’ve hosted student events, spoken at faculty board meetings, made lifelong connections, and even studied abroad in France as a result of becoming involved and learning about all the opportunities offered by the university. 

Every extra-curricular activity that I took part in has helped me become the confident student that I am today. 

Anyone you’d like to thank – someone who made a difference during your time at Mac? 

I’d like to give a very special shout-out to Dr. Dilyana Mincheva from the Department of Communication Studies and Media Arts. Beyond her interesting courses, Dr. Mincheva is one of the most engaged and encouraging professors I’ve ever had. She truly wants to hear what her students have to say, and proposes discussions at every step of her lessons.  

She taught me a lot about how to be an effective leader – one who talks with their team, not just at them. She was always willing to entertain my endless questions during lectures and cheered me on as I set out to accomplish my goals. 

Thank you, Dr. Mincheva – it’s been a honour to be your student. 

What’s a piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting university? 

It sounds cheesy, but the advice I give to anyone starting university is to stay true to who you are. There really is a place for everyone at McMaster, so find what interests you and you’re destined to excel in it. Oh, and join clubs!