Shelby Amponsah couldn’t wait to call her parents Wednesday night.  

The community outreach team lead — and graduate — from McMaster Engineering had just accepted the YWCA Hamilton Halton’s Young Trailblazer Award, taking the stage in front of a room full of powerful, accomplished women at the 2025 Women of Distinction gala. 

“Even just to be nominated was overwhelming … to win was incredible.”  

Amponsah is passionate about inspiring young minds and breaking barriers in STEM fields. She’s reached 32,000 youth through innovative programs, and was instrumental in McMaster Engineering’s Black Youth in STEM program, which earned a 2024 Actua Experience Award.

And it all started with a co-op in her second year in the Bachelor of Technology program. Amponsah was an instructor at a McMasterEng Venture summer camp, teaching children about engineering. 

“I realized I really enjoyed it … the simple fact of teaching other young students what I do brought me so much joy,” she said.  

“It’s amazing now, years later, when kids come back and I’m like, ‘I taught you in Grade 2!’ and they’re still there and they remember what I taught them.”  

Holding her award, Amponsah shared a message for aspiring change makers: Don’t let anyone tell you what’s a real job and what’s not.  

“Just making that impact in your community holds so much more weight.” 

Amponsah was one of four award winners — and 30-plus nominees — who are part of the McMaster community.  

Dina Brooks, executive vice-dean and associate vice-president (Academic) in the Faculty of Health Sciences, received the award in the Education and Training category, in recognition of her mentorship and work to empower and inspire those around her.  

“McMaster is my home,” Brooks said in her acceptance remarks, shouting out the university’s greatest strength, “the quality of its people.”  

Brooks spoke of being raised by parents who were refugees twice over and faced unimaginable hardship, “but never taught me to hate” and showed her that true strength lies in the power of kindness “and how you choose to move forward.” 

McMaster graduate Jessica Bonilla-Damptey, the director of the Sexual Assault Centre Hamilton and Area (SACHA), won the Community Champion award for her public service, advocacy and tireless work to create safer communities.  

“This is an award for the community,” she said. “The work is done by community, for community, and for our children.”  

McMaster graduate Catherine McKenzie received the award for women in STEM | Trades, in recognition of her longtime advocacy for girls and gender-diverse youth in STEM through her work with the Canadian Association for Girls in Science (CAGIS).  

“It’s been such a privilege to contribute to this mission,” she said. “The girls and the gender-diverse youth in CAGIS are the reason we do this work.”   

“At this moment in time, supporting girls and gender diverse youth in STEM is more critical than ever. We know that representation matters. Role models matter. And we know that when we remove barriers and create inclusive spaces, the whole world benefits.”