With confidence and independence, postgraduate Norah Shaikh celebrated her graduation from the Community Access Program (CAP) on April 15.
In her early years, Shaikh relied on people for help and a boost with a lot of her work, but she has since grown into her most independent and confident self with everything she does.
“She has become so much more confident in her abilities,” CAP teacher Caitlin Hynes said. “She has come to know what she is capable of and she has come to know and really understand how smart she is. A lot of times, kids coming from this program aren’t always made to feel that way when they are younger; I think Norah has really been a leader in our program, and I think that has helped her see what she can accomplish.”
The experiences Shaikh has gained from the CAP program have given her the abilities and confidence to have a successful future.
“The CAP program has really helped her get ready for being an adult, being independent and being a hard worker in the real world with the skills she acquired,” Shaikh’s father Mustapha Shaikh said.
However, Shaikh’s real superpower is her personality which shines through in everything she does.
“Norah is very cheerful and thoughtful,” Mustapha Shaikh said. “She has very high empathy, she gets along well with people and she spreads joy wherever she goes.”
To everyone around, there is one word that best sums up who Shaikh is.
“Sparkling,” Hynes said. “Probably a word overused a lot in some ways but for Norah it is definitely true.”
Shaikh’s ability to allow people in and make them feel special is a trait that does not go unnoticed.
“She is the kind of person that when you become her friend, from observing, it looks like you are so important to her and so special to her,” Hynes said. “Watching her with friends that have graduated and friends that are here now, she just makes people smile and I think that is one of my favorite things.”
Shaikh is not only a good friend but also a good person. When she was around five years old, she approached a complete stranger who appeared to be having a bad day to cheer him up.
“Norah just gave him a tight hug and that was it,” Shaikh’s mother Suraiya Shaikh said. “I was in tears and Norah was just normal. She can just sense that somebody is sad or somebody is not happy for some reason or something else is happening in somebody’s life. I think that is her unique feeling.”
Shaikh will be missed around the school and the community as she continues on her journey.
“We will miss that smiling face of hers,” math teacher Colleen Roy said. “She’s walking around, and even though she has her headphones on, she’s still giving you a high five in the hallway or giving you a quick hug.”
Although Shaikh’s graduation is bittersweet, her family, friends and teachers know she will achieve great things in her future and root for her.
“I hope all of her dreams come true,” Roy said. “I hope that she does everything she wants to do, I hope she never stops believing in herself and I hope she accomplishes all she wants to accomplish.”
