Ontario Tech student Uwais Mirza works with national children's charity There Opportunity and sees the organization fulfill its mission of making sports more accessible to children. , said he was moved by his experience.
Mirza, a fourth-year student in the Communication and Digital Media Studies (CDMS) program in the university's School of Social Sciences and Humanities, first connected with their opportunities through a practicum course class.
Mirza, who shares a passion for sports, was particularly encouraged by the opportunity to work with There Opportunity, which partners with organizations such as the Jays Care charity, the Toronto Raptors and the Ottawa Senators.
“I'm a big Toronto sports fan, so that piqued my interest,” Mirza says. “It's a dream for me to work with people like this.”
Mirza, who lives with a disability, was able to help revitalize some of There Opportunity's parasport programs and build links with parasport organizations in the Durham region, a cause very close to his heart. Ta.
Seeing J's Care Opportunity Partners was a full-circle moment for him. As a child, he participated in Jay's Care's Challenger Baseball program, which allows children with physical or cognitive disabilities to play baseball.
“This is great, I benefited from it myself, and I think the sport will continue to grow and become more and more accessible,” he says. “It’s really special to see more of this happen.”
Another highlight of Mirza’s internship at Opportunity was seeing and supporting an indigenous hockey equipment outreach effort.
In January, Their Opportunity was named the philanthropic partner of the Ottawa Senators' Indigenous Culture Celebration. Their Opportunity work was also highlighted at his Jan. 29 gala, which raised $38,250 for the Senators Community Foundation.
In November 2023, There Opportunity, the Senators Community Foundation, and Canadian Tire teamed up to collect approximately 1,700 pieces of hockey equipment, which There Opportunity distributed to more than 20 First Nations communities across Ontario.
On Family Day in February, Mirza experienced first-hand an Indigenous hockey equipment drive at the Delpark Homes Center in Oshawa. More than 25 bags of hockey equipment and dozens of hockey sticks were collected and shipped to her three First Nations communities in Winnipeg.
“I was really surprised that we got so many things. We got so many hockey sticks,” Mirza said.
Mirza's regular teaching duties in the CDMS program involve a lot of research, contrasting with work experience such as organizing events and programming.
“It was surreal,” Mirza says. “I wasn't able to play sports because of my disability, so it's really powerful for me to see other people getting into sports.”
It is an inspiring experience to see their opportunities enable more children to participate in sports.
“Kids should be able to experience sports without any barriers and that's what Their Opportunity is doing. They strive to remove as many barriers as possible while trying to give back to the community. ”
Practical training is a real highlight of Mirza's post-secondary education.
“Here, they actually care about you,” Mirza said of Ontario Tech's practicum and internship team. “I would like to recommend this practical experience to other students.”
Did you know that?
- All departments at Ontario Tech University offer co-ops or internships as part of their degree programs. Students develop skills, abilities, and connections from these experiences, and employers connect with future talent that will be ready for the workforce once hired.
- Ontario Technological University has long believed in the value of student-centered educational options that provide hands-on, hands-on experience as a key component of any university program.
