Today, our newest member, Saira Haq, gave her Classification Talk.
Saira was born in Pakistan and graduated from high school there before moving to New York as an international student to attend Community College. In 2001, her parents migrated to Canada, and she joined them to further her education in Psychology and Equities Studies at U of T. Her goal was to complete her degree and attend grad school in clinical psychology. However, she had to put her studies on hold for a year to care for her mom when she got sick. In 2006, she completed her degree and got married. She welcomed her daughter in 2011. Subsequently, she became a single parent, raising her daughter.
Saira's career path began in Credit Counseling, which led her to become a Licensed Insolvency Trustee after completing a rigorous four-year program. She worked for 16 years with Farber, where she rose from a junior employee to a leader managing a team of 22 staff. In 2024, she joined BDO, seeking a new focus in her career.
Saira spoke about the importance of her parents in her life and her siblings in Qatar. She shared her introduction to Rotary through a work colleague who encouraged her to get involved in the community. She expressed gratitude for the opportunities and experiences that have shaped her. Her long-term future goal is to potentially pursue a CPA designation or study law when her daughter graduates from high school. She also mentioned she is very good at playing Cricket.
· Avrum Liederman – June 18, 2025, is the membership drive. Please invite potential prospects.
· Basil Dias – Paul Harris Scholarship awards on Thursday, May 22nd at Floga. There will be no Pub Night in May.
SERGEANT AT ARMS – Barry Smith.
No fines, just Happy Bucks.
· Barry Smith – Happy to hear about Saira's background.
· Gerd Wengler – Joke on ice fishing.
One day, a man decides to go ice fishing. He grabs his gear and heads out onto the ice. Once he finds a suitable spot, he cuts a large hole in the ice and sits down.
An hour passes, and he still hasn't caught anything. Another hour passes, and then another, and still no fish. Suddenly, the man hears a voice from the sky. "There are no fish under the ice." Hearing this, the man shrugs, gathers his gear, and heads to a new spot a few yards away. He cuts another hole in the ice and continues fishing.
Another two hours pass, and the man still hasn't caught a single fish. Again, he hears a voice from the sky: "There are no fish under the ice." This time, the man looks up and says, "Is that you, God?" The voice responds, "No, it's the Rink Manager."
· Arthur Retnakaran – Just happy.
· Danny Cassidy – Their four grandchildren will spend the weekend with them, and he was happy to hear Saira’s story.
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