We are happy to announce the 2025 Harmony Essay Prize winners! Thank you to everyone who submitted a piece to the contest, we are honored to read your work!
First Place Winner:
Sadaf Shahab
Sadaf Shahab is a double-degree student at Concordia University, in the heart of Montreal, specializing in professional writing and biology. Originally from a small town in India, Sadaf came to Canada as a teenager, guided by purpose to apply beneficial knowledge for the betterment of humanity. Her multi-niche writing pieces, including the solution-based writing, “Listening Before Leading: Reflections on Story-Based Environmental Planning in Indigenous Communities”, reflect a drive to addressing real-world challenges with actionable foresight.
At Concordia, Sadaf has written extensively for various faculties, establishing roots in multidisciplinary writing that spans environmental biology, minorities’ rights, business management, core mathematics, quantum physics, and government law and policy. She has served as a student leader in multiple student bodies, including the Arts and Science Federation Association, Concordia Student Union, and the Muslim Student Union, consistently advocating for equity and student empowerment.
Her dedication to using the pen as a tool for justice and reform began early; at seventeen, she authored a non fictional book on showing true face of various systems in society, “Juvenile in Pseudo Cosmos.” Sadaf recognizes that the suffering of environments and humans under oppressive power is not due to apathy, hundreds of protests occur daily as proof that people care. Yet, she believes real change requires attention towards policy, to sit at the tables where decisions are made, and, if not directly shaping policy, to at least be an advisor and influence the voices of the unheard. She believes the written word can shape both harmful policies and transformative change, depending on how wisely its wielder understands injustice and how well they design better mechanism for governance.
Beyond academia, as a content strategist for brands, she has developed core storytelling and long-form writings for multiple brands, including static media with a deep focus on consumer behavior, and has ghostwritten across diverse formats. Sadaf leads innovation as Head of Marketing & PR at Dora AI, empowering organizations with generative AI for visibility and fairness. She collaborates with Headstart Global (UK) on youth employability and connects students to real-world micro-internships. As solo-founder of Uniqvise Publishing, she pioneers children’s books blending STEM and social ethics, helping the next generation become informed and empowered, with distribution made across several countries and still counting.
Running so many missions and still a sane walking human by the grace of the Creator! Polymathy breaks the mold of the single-track specialist. While much advice urges us to “focus on the bull’s-eye”, mastering one target exclusively, Sadaf’s philosophy draws inspiration from historic Turkish archery, where the board featured multiple bull’s-eyes and the archer carried many arrows. Not limited to a single mark, the archer exercises mastery across many domains. In this spirit, Sadaf challenges single-target dogma, bringing value by tackling multiple significant problems, driven by curiosity and a sense of responsibility to broader impact.
Looking ahead, Sadaf aims to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy, striving to be a reason for solution, knowing that while many young people romanticize awareness, it is true changemakers who create lasting impact, from environmental stewardship to human rights advocacy. Her mission mirrors the spirit of : uniting traditional wisdom, ethical practice of sciences & history, alongside of collaborative action into a sustainable, inclusive future for all.
Second Place Winner:
Vanessa Gull
My name is Vanessa, and I am a first-year law student at Osgoode Hall Law School. As an Afro-Indigenous woman and a member of the Cree Nation of Waswanipi, I am deeply committed to advancing Indigenous rights, environmental justice, and meaningful Crown-Indigenous relations. This commitment inspired my submission for the Harmony Foundation Environmental Essay, where I reflect on the need to strengthen the recognition of Indigenous environmental rights during a time of significant political shifts and challenges. As I begin my legal journey, I hope to pursue a career representing the voices of Indigenous communities in their pursuits of self-determination and reconciliation.
Your pieces were both incredibly inspiring and on behalf of everyone here at RAVEN, we want to wish you both a heartfelt congratulations. We know that you will be doing amazing things in the future in support of Indigenous rights and environmental justice.
