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 $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, ie. Care kits for refugees, low-income families, nursing home residents. Distributed over 500 kits.

She also volunteered as a Research Assistant at the Vaccine Evaluation Center at BC Children’s Hospital. Assisted in ACE-Prove and Quest Advance studies – focusing on longevity and optimal dosing schedule of HPV vaccine and factors influencing parental decisions to increase vaccine update aiming to eradicate cervical cancer. significant roles included managing participant outreach, preparing participation kits, ensuring accurate data collection. 

Nanziba is an executive member of school’s Cancer Association Club – organizing fund raising and awareness events, and co-president of Quokka and Me Club – organized fundraisers and awareness campaigns to empower youth to recognize importance of self-care habits.

She volunteered at SunCreek Village, long term care facility, built companionship with the elderly and is passionate about mental health advocacy and supporting vulnerable communities firsthand.