‘It feels empowering to do my part in building a stronger Concordia’

Giving back

Lindsay Wright, BSc 21, raised nearly $700 after personally reaching out to friends, family and colleagues. She supported students by completing a 10-kilometre run in a little more than an hour.

Wright originally set out to raise $400, yet quickly exceeded her own expectations as she began reaching out to her network.

“When I started fundraising, my initial goal was to encourage myself to always strive for more,” says Wright.

During her undergraduate degree in honours physics, Wright benefited from several awards and scholarships. She wanted to give back to the Concordia community that lifted her up.

“I wanted to help give other students the opportunity to also be supported in their academic goals and achievements,” she says.

Wright is slated to begin her master’s in physics at Concordia this September and will be volunteering at the Shuffle to cheer on this year’s participants.

Little efforts, big impact

Azfar Adib is a doctoral student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and the student activities chair of IEEE Montreal Section, where he coordinates different educational activities among the students of electrical engineering across five universities in Montreal. While at Concordia, he has participated in every Shuffle since 2019.

It was last year’s event, however, that had the most profound impact on him as he joined the team of the late Concordia psychology professor, Nadia Chaudhri. Before her passing, Chaudhri established the Nadia Chaudhri Wingspan Award to support the training of neuroscientists from underrepresented backgrounds.

“I was so happy and privileged to join that Shuffle team,” says Adib. “To me and many others, Chaudhri remains a source of inspiration.”

Chaudhri died in October 2021, weeks after the fundraiser. Her team brought in nearly $542,000 through the Shuffle, with Chaudhri single-handedly raising more than $500,000.

“Together, with our little efforts, we can continue to make big things happen. That is the unique opportunity that the Concordia Shuffle provides every year,” adds Adib.

‘Incredibly honoured’

Merveille Moungang Djifo has been active in her Concordia community since moving to Montreal just three years ago.

In addition to her studies in biochemistry and multidisciplinary studies in science, Djifo is a representative of the Faculty of Arts and Science for the Black Perspectives Office and the education coordinator for the African and Caribbean Synergic Interorganizational network of Canada (ACSioN). She also sits on the board of directors for CEED Concordia.

Djifo views the Shuffle as another way to give back to the community that supported her as an international student. She raised funds for the Black Perspectives Office in 2021, in gratitude to the various awards and scholarships she received to pursue her education, as well as her passion for social causes.

“Shuffling, for me, represented an open door, an opportunity to reduce the gaps in our system,” she says. “It was one more dollar towards helping a fellow Concordian achieve their dreams.”

Djifo encourages other students to register for this year’s Shuffle and emphasizes the event’s role in uniting Concordia students, staff and alumni.

“It feels empowering and tremendously uplifting to have been able to contribute to the fundraiser and do my part in building a stronger Concordia,” she says. “I felt incredibly honoured to be able to make this happen.”

Discover how you can take part in Concordia’s Shuffle 33.