Faces of WISEST: Yasmin Albeny

As a participant in the 2022 WISEST SRP program, I worked under the guidance of Dr. Lefsrud to automate the classification of millions of tweets into different political ideologies. It was amazing to see how we could harness technology to address diverse challenges. Since that summer, I have known I wanted to pursue a career in STEM. 

Inspired by my SRP journey, I co-founded an all-girls team to compete in the Northern Alberta FIRST Robotics competitions. From design to coding, we embraced the challenge with enthusiasm! Despite being a novice team, we secured 11th place among 19 teams and won the Judge’s Choice Award for our teamwork and commitment to diversity and inclusion in STEM. 

In my final year of high school, I co-founded the Career Club, guiding discussions on opportunities and scholarships, organizing career panels, and facilitating volunteer initiatives. I found immense fulfillment in directly supporting fellow students. 

Fueled by my passion for robotics, science, and leadership, I decided to study engineering at the UofA and I plan on pursuing a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering! Engineering has been challenging, but so rewarding. My favorite part is getting involved in clubs like the UAlberta Solar Car Club, where I design and test various components for our solar-powered vehicle. I am excited to see what other projects I work on over my years at the UofA! 

I am immensely grateful for the transformative impact of my WISEST SRP experience. It’s through the phenomenal support and encouragement of WISEST that I and many other students discovered our passion for STEM!