Meet the team

Mariyam is a 3rd year Computer Science student at McMaster University who is thrilled to be an instructor at Venture Academy for the upcoming summer! Mariyam loves how her program gives her the opportunity to learn more about the dynamic field of computer science and be involved in what it has to offer. Mariyam has learnt a lot by being a part of various technical and non-technical clubs along with completing courses in databases, programming, concurrent systems, etc. Mariyam is a member of McMaster Start Coding, and this involvement not only teaches Mariyam to work with children by teaching them coding in ELM but also planning and developing curriculum. Mariyam enjoys baking, writing, knitting and learning new languages (not programming) among many other hobbies in her free time. Mariyam is ecstatic to be involved with Venture and is looking forward to connecting with the little campers this summer! 

Kenan is a 3rd year Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering student at McMaster University working as a program Instructor at Venture Academy. Kenan has always loved building things and learning about how the world works. His program offers him the ability to see the inner workings of machines while also integrating engineering principles with his interests in biology and human anatomy. Outside the classroom, Kenan enjoys his free time in creative expression through film and digital photography. Kenan loves to take nature walks, bike, and hike to soak in what nature has to offer and record it in photos. Kenan is looking forward to working with you all this summer! 

Ashlee Watson is going into her second year of engineering at McMaster. What excites her the most about engineering is the creativity, innovation, and community impact that it allows for. She loves to watch movies, tv shows, and anime! She also indulges in cooking and baking from time to time. As an instructor for Venture Academy, she looks forward to teaching the kids and sharing her passion for stem and engineering and hopefully invoking that same passion within them. 

Makayla is an iBioMed student going into her second year. She is beyond excited to work as a Venture Academy Instructor this summer and share her passion for engineering. Makayla loves that her program allows her to explore opportunities in the medical field while understanding the principles of engineering. In her free time, you'll find Makayla in the kitchen trying a new recipe or by the beach on a walk with her 3 dogs! Makayla is super excited to work with all the campers this summer! 

Olisha is a 3rd-year Computer Science student at McMaster University and is happy to be an instructor at Venture Academy. Olisha is passionate about her program as she spends her time coding and bringing objects to life (virtually) through animations! Olisha loves sketching, painting, dancing, singing, playing video games, and reading books in her free time. Olisha is excited to work with students and is excited to meet everyone! 

Hunter is a 4th year iBioMed student in HESE at McMaster, and is super excited to be a program instructor at Venture Academy! Hunter loves that his program is so interdisciplinary and gives the opportunity to innovate new health solutions that will change the face of patient care. In his free time, Hunter enjoys golfing, cooking and reading. Hunter can't wait to meet all the campers this summer! 

Andrea is going into 3rd year of Engineering Physics and Society at McMaster University, and she is an Instructor at Venture Academy. Andrea enjoys working on projects and applying what she learns in class to the real world. In her spare time, Andrea likes going on hikes and doing anything active, but also likes snuggling on the couch with a good book. Andrea is looking forward to meeting you this summer! 

Kamaya is a 3rd year Chemical and Bio Engineering student and is super excited for this upcoming summer. Kamaya has a passion for the Biomedical Engineering field and really enjoys how her program allows her to learn about both the chemical and bio aspect of engineering. She has a love for research and wants to pursue a Masters program in Biomedical Engineering. Kamaya enjoys walking in the forest, going shopping, and reading in her free time. 

Matthew Pironaggi has recently finished his first year of Engineering 1 at McMaster. He believes engineering is a way that people can explore our inner creative and artistic mind and apply it to scientific solutions. He plans to move into Chemical and Bioengineering or iBiomed and Electrical Engineering in his second year. Outside of his engineering interests, Matthew is in the McMaster University Choir and loves to perform in musical theatre shows. He has a keen interest in music and the way it can convey emotion. He also loves to read, bake and take bike rides. 

Ashwin, iBioMed 1st Year Being part of the iBioMed program, Ashwin was able to combine his passions in computer studies, electronics and software with biological research/studies. It allowed Ashwin to learn the unity between different engineering principles to create a meaningful impact on healthcare within the community. Ashwin's hobbies include programming, biking, and traveling. Ashwin is psyched to meet new Venture campers! 

Bhavika is a third year HESE iBiomed student at McMaster and is excited to be an Instructor at Venture Academy. Bhavika is very passionate about healthcare and education, with the goal of promoting integration between these fields. Bhavika loves exploring new STEM concepts and wants to make these learning opportunities more accessible to everyone. Outside of school, she enjoys hiking, reading, and travelling. 

Lydia is entering her third year of Software and Biomedical Engineering at McMaster and she is thrilled to be joining the Instructional Team at Venture Academy this summer! Her passion for engineering is mainly rooted in a desire to use AI for applications in the medical field! One day, she wants to use her skills to start a company that detects diseases using AI when the prognosis is better than the current standards. Outside of class, she is an avid powerlifter and takes MMA classes. She also loves reading and discovering new musical artists. 

Maliha is going into her 3rd year of the Chemical and Biomedical Engineering program at McMaster University and is looking forward to connecting with youth at Venture Academy! Maliha loves the unique connections her program has to the pharmaceutical industry and the connections it has to chemistry, biology, and physics. Her program provides an innovative atmosphere with a chance to explore engineering from a medical perspective. Maliha loves film, volleyball, walks, knitting, and socializing with friends! 

Kansas is a third year Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering student at McMaster University and one of the Lab Facilitators specializing in BioChem at Venture Academy. Kansas chose to pursue the iBiomed program at McMaster because of her passion for health solution projects capable of widespread implications. Additionally, her background in physics, chemistry, biology, and advanced math has proved useful to construct and apply these projects in various entrepreneurial settings. For the future, Kansas is looking to pursue biomechanics and engineering design of potential medical therapeutics. Outside of the classroom, Kansas competes for McMaster's Varsity Cross Country + Track team as a long distance runner and really enjoys being active outdoors! She is so excited to meet all of the students and working with them this summer! 

Maddy is in her 3rd year of Chemical Engineering & Society. She chose to study Chemical Engineering because it perfectly combines her love for analytics, math, and chemistry to make a positive impact on the world. Currently, she is particularly interested in issues related to sustainable water and energy provision. Being in Engineering & Society encourages her to be a more inquisitive, conscientious engineer and gives her the freedom to develop a wider breadth of knowledge. Maddy's love for the planet is the backbone of all work she does in Engineering and has inspired her to pursue a minor in sustainability. In her free time, Maddy is a cast member in the McMaster Engineering Musical, loves to cook, and plays basketball. 

Charlotte is a fourth year Electrical Engineering student at McMaster and she is very excited to work with the Venture Academy team this summer! She loves engineering because of the wide variety of problems and projects she gets to work on such as automating remote controlled vehicles and designing electrical sensor systems. She is working towards a minor in Sustainability and is excited to integrate her passions for STEM and environmental advocacy. She enjoys swimming, hiking and biking and working in her garden in the spring and summer. Charlotte is so excited to meet you all this summer! 

Spring is a second-year Engineering Physics student at McMaster who's passionate about entrepreneurship, exponential technologies and education. She plans on pursuing Nuclear Engineering research and a career in Quantum computing, and in her program she loves being involved in her community through some of McMaster's clubs such as McMaster's Engineering Society as well as McMaster's Incubator (The Forge). In her spare time, she can be found cuddling her cat, falling down an internet rabbit-hole, (pre-covid) coaching synchronized swimming, or planning some elaborate project. Spring is super excited to meet all the campers!  

Sharah is a third year Electrical Engineering and Management student at McMaster. Her interest in electrical engineering was sparked by the evolving technology in the world today and the curiosity of how it all works. She loves how it has multiple applications including electronics, communication systems, computer architecture, and so many more, and is hoping to experience these different specializations throughout her career. In her spare time, you might find her tripping over branches while exploring the different hiking paths in Hamilton. 

Lauren is going into her 3rd year of Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering and is very excited to be a Venture Academy program instructor this year! Lauren loves the versatility that her program offers her as Engineering Physics has many potential applications such as biosensors and photonics which can be used for disease diagnostics and detection. In the future, she hopes to utilize these skills to enhance diagnostics in the medical field. In her free time Lauren loves baking (especially pies), reading, and playing basketball or soccer. 

Christina is a fourth-year student in the Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Program specializing in Engineering Physics. The ibiomed program allows Christina to explore biomedical principles as well as physics concepts and allowing her to connect them together in various design projects. Christina enjoys electricity/magnetism and microcontroller courses and is looking forward to further specializing in these topics in her fourth year. Outside of school Christina enjoys hiking, thrifting, and spending time outdoors. Christina is excited to be working with venture and looks forward to meeting all the students! 

Raghav is a 2nd year Automation Engineering Technology student who has been learning and teaching STEM for 5 years. Raghav’s favourite part about his program is the hands-on applications of robotics and systems. He is also very excited about computer programming and has learnt many technical skills surrounding coding. Raghav’s interests outside of engineering include playing tennis, basketball, playing the drums and listening to all kinds of music! He also grew up loving video games and exploring new technologies which translated well to his post-secondary studies. Raghav is looking forward to an exciting summer and meeting everyone! 

Mariam is a 5th year student specializing in Electrical & Biomedical Engineering. She is passionate about the intersection between health sciences and engineering and is especially interested in hardware and software development. As a creative person, Mariam appreciates that engineering has provided her with the skillset and ability to create a wide variety of projects, allowing her to explore her creativity in the best of ways. Mariam is interested in medical robotics and software and aspires to spread positivity and creativity throughout her engineering career. Mariam is passionate about travelling and photography and loves to explore different cities! 

Aidan just finished his first year of Engineering 1 and is hoping to specialize in Mechanical Engineering in September. He loves the project-based learning that has been added to the engineering curriculum and continues to compete in other events like Delta-hacks and the MDL CAD Design-a-thon to keep learning and keep having fun! In the mechanical engineering program, Aidan hopes to learn more technical skills and make even cooler things. In his spare time, he loves archery, gaming, 3D printing and cooking. 

Emilia is a 6th year Civil Engineering and Society student at McMaster, and is thrilled to be serving as a Project Developer at Venture Academy this upcoming summer! Emilia always knew she had an interest in sustainability, however through discovering engineering she got the amazing opportunity to connect her two passions and explore how new developments can be designed to mimic nature and work with the land. Emilia is excited about engineering because all the building blocks of modern society are encompassed under the engineering umbrella so there is always room for new engineers to innovate and make these crucial elements even better for future generations. Outside of school, Emilia loves rollerblading, gardening, and embroidery. 

Sophia just finished her 2nd year of Electrical and Biomedical Engineering at McMaster University and is thrilled to be an instructor at Venture Academy! Sophia wants to be an engineer because she loves solving problems, working on projects and making an impact on society. She is interested in electronics, programming and their applications to the medical field. In her free time, Sophia likes to dance, go on bike rides and hangout with friends. She is super excited to connect with the younger students and inspire them to pursue STEM in their future! 

Chris is a 3rd-year Mechatronics and Biomedical Engineering student at McMaster, and is excited to instruct at Venture Academy! In his free time, he enjoys reading, walking, and watching movies. Chris is excited to meet all the campers this summer and explore different facets of STEM! 

Jaan is going into her fourth year of Chemical and Bioengineering and cannot wait to engage with youth as her role as an Instructor! What Jaan loves most about her program is that she is able to see how courses like anatomy and cell biology intersect with core chemical engineering courses. The engineering program has also taught Jaan how to think outside of the box and step outside of her comfort zone in the best way possible! Jaan's personal interests include painting, drawing, fashion and hiking. 

Adhishri is a 2nd year Civil Engineering student at McMaster working as a Program Instructor at Venture Academy. Her passion for Civil Engineering and structural design stemmed from her love of architecture and math. With Civil Engineering, she finds that she is able to combine STEM concepts with urban development and build efficient cities! In her free time, Adhishri enjoys reading, watching movies, and spending time outdoors doing activities such as hiking and biking. She is looking forward to an exciting summer working and learning with students! 

Shelby is a 4th year McMaster Biotechnology student currently working as the new Co-Director of Venture Academy this summer. It is through this experience that she hopes to enhance her leadership skills as well as through this position, continue to build up Venture Academy and introduce youth from all walks of life to STEM based fields. Outside of academics Shelby enjoys cooking and playing rugby! She has a passion for chemistry and working with polymers and hopes in the future to obtain a Masters in Applied Science specializing in organic chemistry and polymerization! 

Emma is a 4th year Engineering Physics and Society student currently working as a Co-Director of Venture Academy. Emma has previously worked as an instructor and project developer and is passionate about all the different initiatives of Venture Academy. She is excited to be able to continue to grow this program to introduce more youth to exciting and amazing aspects of STEM. Academically, she loves learning about new and emerging physics topics as well as designing electrical circuits. Outside of school Emma enjoys reading, going on hikes, baking, and learning more about computer programming. Emma is very excited to meet all the campers (both virtually and in-person) this summer!  

Angel is a 4th year Automation Engineering Technology student at McMaster University and is the Assistant Director at Venture Academy. In her program, Angel spends most of her time in electrical and chemical labs as well as working with robots! In her free time, Angel enjoys playing video games, horseback riding, and provides ESL lessons for young students around the world. Angel loves working with students and is very excited to see everyone at Venture Academy this summer!