2025 Community Service Award – Nanziba Islam

Aubrey Searle, Stanley Hortness and Ben Dobranowski presented Nanziba Islam with the Community Service Award.

Nanziba is a student at Frank Hurt Secondary School. She received a $3,000 grant from Intercultural Youth Microgrants Service Corps Program, enabling her to create an open-call charity event to provide essential supplies to underserved populations, i.e. care kits for refugees, low-income families and nursing home residents. She distributed over five hundred kits.

She also volunteered as a Research Assistant at the Vaccine Evaluation Center at BC Children’s Hospital. Nanziba assisted in ACE Prove and Quest Advance studies. This study focuses on longevity and optimal dosing schedules of HPV vaccines, as well as any factors that may influence parental decisions to increase vaccine updates. This study is aiming to eradicate cervical cancer. Nanziba’s significant roles in this study included managing participant outreach, preparing participation kits and ensuring accurate data collection. 

Nanziba is an executive member of her school’s Cancer Association Club, which includes organizing fund raising and awareness events. She is also co-president of Quokka and Me Club where she organizes fundraisers and awareness campaigns empowering youth to recognize importance of self-care habits.

She volunteered at SunCreek Village long-term care facility,  building companionship with the elderly. Nanziba is passionate about mental health advocacy and supporting vulnerable communities first hand.