Meet Bai Cham, Bill Zheng, and Maya Gangji—three passionate students whose personal experiences with healthcare have shaped their dreams of becoming medical professionals. Thanks to the support of the Medavie Foundation, they are now one step closer to making a difference in the field. By sharing their stories, 2024 scholarship recipients Bai, Bill and Maya hope to inspire other young people to follow their dreams.
Bai’s story
Growing up, Bai Cham had always been passionate about helping others, something he learned from watching his mother.
When his brother fell ill with a heart condition, it was a frightening experience for their family. Even though Bai struggled emotionally to see his brother so sick, he was also inspired by the life-saving skill shown by the doctors. That was when Bai first decided to pursue medicine as a career.
Sadly, Bai’s brother eventually passed away. The loss motivated Bai even more, and he began seriously working toward his goal of going to medical school.
Unfortunately, life would soon take another challenging turn. At just 19, Bai was forced to flee to Canada as a refugee, leaving his whole family behind. His mother, now ill with a similar heart condition, reassured her son that he was doing the right thing.
“She told me ‘If you can’t help me, go help others.’”
In his new community of Halifax, he became a peer mentor for the other youth in the shelter where he lived. He volunteered as a mover for an organization that helps survivors of gender-based violence find new housing.
When he mentioned his desire to pursue medicine, his youth home helped him find funding opportunities. That’s when he was awarded the Medavie Scholarship. It covers his tuition at Dalhousie University where he is a first-year Bachelor of Science student, helps him live independently, and allows him to work in a long-term care facility where he supports residents’ mental health.
Bai is proud of himself for taking this first step in his cardiology career and is grateful for the impact it’s already having on those around him.
“I couldn't start early or even on time. But I know youths who look at me like I'm an inspiration. Seeing me pursuing this career really motivates them. I hope they also become medical doctors, and that we can make this world a better place.”
Bill’s story
In high school, Bill was certain that he would be a commercial airline pilot one day. In fact, he was already in flight school by the end of Grade 11. But in the summer before Grade 12, his mother became terminally ill.
As the only one in his household who spoke English fluently, he suddenly became the main family contact with the hospital. It was an overwhelming experience, but it did show him something important about the healthcare system.
“The medical side was fairly straightforward. It was the social side and navigating the system that I needed help with. I was able to receive that support from the nurses there.”
Unfortunately, Bill’s mother soon passed away. That’s when he decided to become a nurse himself.
He didn’t have the right credits to enter a nursing program, so he took on extra academic work. He also needed to help his grandparents pay their bills and couldn’t do the extracurriculars that look good on a college application.
Funding from the Medavie Foundation has opened up new opportunities.
“I do not have to worry about making money to pay for my tuition,” he says. “I've got it fully covered.” This allows him to put more time into his studies at the University of Calgary and community service.
Today, Bill helps run an annual festival to help people facing social exclusion have fun together. He’s also founded a social enterprise that provides employment for people having trouble finding work, especially those living in shelters or with criminal records. He has a message for all young people:
“Recognize what you're good at, speak up, speak loudly, and speak proudly of yourself. But always remember to uplift other voices.”
Maya’s story
Growing up, Maya’s mother struggled with a serious mental health condition, and stigma prevented her from seeking the support she needed. Seeing her mother so ill was hard for Maya and affected her own mental health. However, there was one thing that really helped.
“Every summer, my brother and I were sent to a kids' yoga camp. So learning about meditation and yoga became a really big part of my life.”
Since then, yoga has helped her manage her own mental health, and she wanted to help others benefit too. In high school, Maya became a certified yoga instructor and had an epiphany.
“There are so many holistic modalities of healing that exist, but they're not applied in psychiatry,” she says. “Maybe I can combine medicinal and holistic modalities and create a different form of holistic psychiatry.”
When the University of Toronto science student was searching for electives, she found an intriguing program: “Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health.” It seemed too good to be true.
Initially, Maya was stretched thin by working to pay tuition and living expenses in addition to her academics and student leadership roles. Receiving the Medavie Scholarship has made a significant difference in her life.
“I don't need to worry as much about my tuition, and I can focus more on getting opportunities that are useful for my future goals,” she says.
Today she works as a yoga teacher in several community programs, where she teaches coping skills to manage stress.
Maya has words of encouragement for anyone facing similar barriers to education.
“When you've gone through a lot, you tend to become independent as a coping mechanism. But sometimes you need a little bit of help. Looking for help, whether it's a scholarship, people, or mentors, makes a very big difference. Don’t give up!”
