DARPAN SPOTLIGHT
As the youngest of 14 recipients of British Columbia’s 2020 Medal of Good Citizenship, Fawzan was recognized for his work in using 3D Printing to create 3D Printed Assistive Devices for people with physical disabilities. By Naina Grewal
FAWSAN HUSSAIN
BC’S GOOD CITIZEN
18
JULY | AUGUST 2021
Reflecting The South-Asian Lifestyle
DARPAN
TM
A
vid technology enthusiast is an understatement to describe Fawzan Hussain, one of fourteen recipients of British Columbia’s 2020 Medal of Good Citizenship. As the youngest of fourteen recipients, Fawzan was recognized for his work in using 3D Printing to create 3D Printed Assistive Devices for people with physical disabilities. Since the start of the pandemic, Fawzan has successfully 3D Printed and delivered over 1,545 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) devices to over 30 organizations across the province. Born and raised in Surrey, Fawzan is currently a first-year engineering student at the University of Victoria. He fell in love with engineering, given its problem-solving approach that allows the usage of different technologies to test ideas and design a solution. Growing up, Fawzan participated in many science fairs and eventually found himself interested in 3D Printing.
In 2017, Neil Squire Society’s Makers Making Change Program put out a call for help regarding their 3D Printing initiative. Fawzan became eagerly interested and began exploring how he could use his technical skills to print 3D Printed Assistive Devices for this cause. Volunteering with the organization over the past few years, he has 3D Printed devices that help people with physical disabilities in various profound ways, from gripping a pen to opening a water bottle. Continuing to hone his technical skills, in 2019, Fawzan participated in the MILSET Expo-Sciences International 2019 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. At this STEM exhibition, he presented his Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Communication System to other young scientists from across the globe and represented Canada in the closing ceremonies. When the pandemic was officially declared in March 2020, Fawzan was in Grade 12, at the cusp of graduation. Fawzan recalls that it was an extremely anxious and scary time, as he had no idea what graduation or university life would look like. He accounts, “By
