U of R student wins Keystone Education Student of the Year Award

Shiza Hirani, a third-year business student from the Hill Levene School of Business at the University of Regina, has never let her age define her. At only 15 years old, she realized her voice has power, and she’s used it ever since.

I feel like without mentorship, it's easy to fall through the cracks of life. You can feel overwhelmed and sometimes you feel like you don't have somebody who trusts in you. — Shiza Hirani, a third-year Business student, Hill Levene School of Business, University of Regina

And now, she’s being recognized as a global leader for using her voice to empower young people around the world. This summer, Hirana was awarded Keystone Education Group’s Student of the Year award, which recognizes students who not only excel academically, but contribute to their communities through leadership, volunteering and advocacy.

For Hirani, the award serves as more than just a celebration of her achievements. It’s a reminder of the impact she’s making and why she needs to continue her efforts.

"I see this recognition not only as a celebration of my academic and volunteer achievements, but also a responsibility to give back even more, create opportunities for others, and open doors for the generations that come after me so they can dream even bigger,” says Hirani.

Leadership at an Early Age

At 15 years old, Hirani noticed that youth, especially racialized youth, were overlooked for speaking and leadership opportunities and was determined to not let those doubts hold her back.

Hirani’s journey of youth mentorship began when she was in high school and the world shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I watched a lot of young people struggle with loneliness and a decline in their mental health. There was uncertainty about their futures and growing concerns regarding disconnection from their communities.” says Hirani. “At that time, I also noticed another challenge that had existed long before the pandemic, that too many racialized young people possessed extraordinary potential but had very limited opportunities to be heard, receive proper mentorship, and feel empowered in their roles.” 

This inspired Hirani to start Youth MentorNet Cafe, a non-profit dedicated to helping young people around the world realize their potential. Today, Youth MentorNet Cafe reaches over 150,000 youth across 15 different countries. 

“I feel like without mentorship, it's easy to fall through the cracks of life. You can feel overwhelmed and sometimes you feel like you don't have somebody who trusts in you,” says Hirani.

Youth MentorNet Cafe provides information about opportunities available to youth such as leadership positions, scholarships and settlement resources to help manage the uncertainty.

“Our mission has always been simple. It's to ensure that every young person, regardless of their background, culture, gender, income, or identity, has the tools to succeed,” she says.

While her efforts have reached the global scale, her support for youth on the local level has continued to grow.  

Between serving as the director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for the Hill School of Business Students Society and her involvement in Enactus Regina, supporting students on campus remains one of Hirani’s primary goals. 

“I was seeing how much diversity there is here at the U of R, and I think that kind of pushed me to also broaden the reach of Youth MentorNet Cafe. I saw there was a need to learn how to obtain a SIN number, which bank accounts to open and which scholarships they can apply for,” she says.

For her, the support from the U of R made achieving those goals much easier. 

“I genuinely feel like student voices here matter. Faculty members, departments, and various University-based governance teams have been so inviting. They have been creating opportunities for students for as long as I can remember.” says Hirani.

Making a Noticeable Difference

Hirani’s constant support and advocacy efforts have been recognized by the likes of U of R, the United Nations, Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development Saskatchewan, Association of Fundraising Professionals South Saskatchewan Chapter, and most recently with the 2026 Student of the Year award from the Keystone Education Group.  

Last year it hit Hirani that she was really making a difference when she was invited to speak at the DisruptHR YQR Forum. 

“I saw a whole room filled with 100 plus business leaders, and at first, I was like ‘would they really be open to listening to a young person's voice?’ But then I was surprised to see that they were actually very willing to listen, and they were paying attention,” she says.

Yet, it’s not the awards and formal recognition that motivate Hirani; it’s when she can see that her efforts are making an impact. 

“The happiness doesn't really lie in like the awards or the recognition, but I think more so it's when a student gets an email saying that they were accepted into their dream university,” she adds.

When reflecting on her achievements, Hirani emphasizes that it was all made possible thanks to the support she received. She credits her family for believing in her, her teachers who encouraged and pushed her forward, and the mentors and youth volunteers who generously shared their time to help her advance community-based initiatives.

With this in mind, Hirani says she’ll continue to use her platform to continue to advocate for young people, supporting their journeys as her mentors, teachers, friends and family have done for her.

Visit Shiza Hirani’s website to learn more about her story and advocacy efforts.

Banner Image: Shiza Hirani has taken on numerous speaking opportunities to ensure that youth voices are represented. Photo Credit: Shiza Hirani