Favour Abimbola
Where STEM Meets Art: Fuelling Change through Creativity, Passion and Relentless Curiosity
Meet Favour Abimbola, a dedicated and passionate first-year Engineering student at the 喵咪社区. She is committed to making a tangible difference in her community and advocating for underrepresented individuals in STEM.
From a young age, Favour has been fascinated by science and innovation which has fueled her love for problem solving. Favour’s passions extend beyond science and technology, she is an avid artist who finds creativity an essential part of her identity. Her artwork and STEM are deeply intertwined. Whether it is presenting to Senate representatives, participating in the ELITE Program for Black Youth, showcasing her art or photography, she seamlessly bridges the gap between STEM and art. Favour strongly believes that art enhances innovation and problem-solving, allowing her to think outside the box when tackling scientific challenges.
Throughout her high school years and ongoing into her university journey, Favour has been a part of many initiatives to make STEM more accessible. She participated in WISEST’s Youth Council’s STEAM Exhibition, where she was able to share her piece “ Spring Renewal”. Her piece focused on climate advocacy, highlighting the connection between climate action and collective responsibility. 70% of the materials used in her project were sustainable, such as recycled containers, elements from outside and reusable items to symbolize life sprouting from what was once discarded. Favour showed the intersectionality between STEM and art through her piece to drive meaningful change.
Furthermore, Favour's passion for sustainable climate change allowed her to deliver a speech to the Canadian Senate. Her speech concentrated on promoting stronger environmental policies to address climate change and discussing actionable solutions with policymakers.
Being a part of numerous STEM communities, Favour has met many individuals with diverse passions. The multitude of inclusive environments has provided her with support systems and outlets to support her in overcoming obstacles along her journey, like imposter syndrome. One of Favour’s biggest challenges was overcoming self-doubt in a male-dominated field. The idea of pursuing a demanding field with minimal representation was daunting at first and at times, led her to question her ability to succeed. Despite receiving advice and many comments about pursuing a more conventional path, Favour remained determined to follow her path. The external pressures and doubts did not force Favour to stray from interests and passions. She has learned to use the obstacles and challenges she faces as fuel for success.
Not only do the STEM communities provide support systems, but also keep STEM exciting for Favour. As a member of the ELITE Program for Black Youth, she is constantly experiencing new academic possibilities. Favour works alongside professors, professionals and mentors in industry and research environments. Throughout these experiences, she has learned many transferable and technical skills, like precise data collection and research challenges.
Favour nurtures her curiosity by asking questions and seeking answers, always eager to expand her understanding of the world around her. Recently, her curiosity has been sparked by “ Lessons in Chemistry”, a novel by Bonnie Garmus. The book follows the journey of Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant yet unconventional chemist in the 1960s who faces relentless gender-based discrimination in the scientific community. Favour learned more about the experiences of women in STEM, which inspired her to keep breaking barriers and help others do the same.
Beyond her passion for science, Favour finds creative expression through photography. As a photographer for the Engineering Student Society at the 喵咪社区, she gets to capture collaboration and innovation. Whether photographing people or projects, Favour gets to document the vibrant community within the engineering faculty!
Fun Facts about Favour
Favorite Food: Fries and wings combo
Favorite part of STEM: Constant learning and discovery
Favorite Movie/TV show: The Grand Budapest Hotel / Brooklyn Nine-Nine
Go-to Karaoke song: Skyfall by Adele
Dogs or cats: Dog (German Shepherd) – companionship and workout buddy.
A Guilty Pleasure: Re-reading my favourite books
Profile written by Ela Naidoo.