Summer Student Profile: Meet Yousif Majid
When Yousif Majid isn’t reading books about physics, playing sports with friends or watching TV, he is at Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga, where he works as a summer student in the ReStore. “I help our customers, I talk to them, see what they need. I also help out a lot in the warehouse, so if a truck comes in I help unload it,” Yousif explained.
Yousif said that helping customers is his favourite part of his role. “I like talking to people. It’s satisfying, helping someone find what they want and seeing them happy that they finally found what they were looking for,” he said.
Lunch breaks are about the only consistent factor in days in the warehouse, Yousif said; you never know what is going to happen. After arriving at work, dropping off his bag and putting his lunch in the fridge, he goes to the warehouse and asks the assistant manager what needs to be done that day. Tasks can range from moving windows, clearing out aisles and even modelling a kitchen in the store, which Yousif did once. He is also typically in charge of two or three volunteers. “I like the leadership aspect of it,” he said. “Being a leader allows your vision to become more feasible.”
In the fall, Yousif is heading to the University of Waterloo to study mathematical physics. “I’m very interested in physics and how it could describe essentially anything. I chose mathematical physics because it’s more theoretical, it’s more math based and less experiment based,” he said. After finishing his undergraduate degree, Yousif said he would like to work towards getting a PhD in physics. Eventually, he’d like to become a professor, researcher, or work at a hedge fund or investment firm.
Yousif has volunteered with Habitat in the past, and he believes that the organization has an important mission. “Everybody deserves a home to live in,” he said. “Everyone deserves an equal opportunity for their life. (Home is) one of those basic necessities that people need. It’s essential (that) everyone gets a home where they can be safe.”
