Prince George student headed to top U.S. university this fall

A local student is heading to Brown University, an elite Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island.

Karim Zohdy came to Prince George six years ago when his father got a job opportunity that he wanted to explore. The family came from Swansea, a city on the south coast of Wales.

Zohdy graduates from College Heights Secondary School this year and will attend Brown in the fall, taking advantage of the Open Curriculum that allows students to explore a variety of interests in their first year of university.

“The open curriculum is one of the most unique things about Brown and I look forward to taking advantage of it and the opportunities it offers,” Zohdy said.

In high school, he did a lot of writing, including an article for The Citizen, short stories and poems as he really enjoyed his English and history classes.

On the flipside he also enjoyed physics and biology so the open curriculum is a good fit for him, he added.

Zohdy also applied to another Ivy League school - Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire - and was accepted there as well.

When the decision between the two elite schools had to be made, Zohdy said he asked his family and teachers and counselors at College Heights secondary who supported him as he made the decision to attend Brown.

Zohdy enjoyed many aspects of school and said taking a creative writing course inspired him and his younger sister Noor to start a writing club at the school.

Zohdy also took a great interest in debate while attending high school.

“It’s one of my favourite things in high school,” Zohdy said.

In fact, very recently Zohdy participated in a virtual international debate tournament that he won. He was also awarded best speaker at the tournament.

Growing up in Wales, Zohdy said the education system seemed a bit more formal as teachers and students interacted in a more traditional manner where here Zohdy feels a more personal connection to his teachers. The community he grew up in was a friendly place but he gets a stronger sense of community here in Prince George, he added.

Growing up in Wales and then moving to Canada, Zohdy felt at home in both places while not anchored to either one so there wasn’t much of a barrier to exploring educational opportunities in another part of the world.

“So it wasn’t so much of an issue to me to apply to an American school,” he said.

Included in his application to Brown University was the hundreds of community volunteer hours Zohdy has completed.

“When I first moved to Prince George I was almost immediately aware of the culture of volunteering here and it’s brilliant,” Zohdy said. “I think it‘s one of my favourite things about Prince George because I haven’t seen that anywhere else. As soon as I came here I started to volunteer."

He started fundraising for a cause then found his way to St. Vincent de Paul Society in the kitchen of the Drop-In Centre and thrift store. He’s also participated in the Run for the Cure for the Canadian Cancer Society and donated time at the Salvation Army.

Zohdy has logged more than 400 volunteer hours throughout the community.

“It’s always been such a rewarding experience,” Zohdy said. “When volunteering with St. Vincent de Paul you see the difference you’re making right in front of you and you’re seeing the people you’re helping every day.”

Zohdy explained that differs from when a person raises funds and it goes to an important cause like cancer research. The in-person volunteering resonates with him as it is more impactful.

“I volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul during the winter and that was really powerful because of course it gets really cold and a lot of people don’t have anywhere to go and it shows how important the work that they do is because a lot of people who are living on the street wouldn’t have access to things like food and blankets and jackets and gloves. It’s already difficult enough to be on the street but to be there in minus 20 degrees that was the moment where it became very clear that what I was helping to do was very important.”