2018 NBCC Youth Award Winner – McNiel-Inyani Keri

Mr. McNiel-Inyani Keri was born in Kosti, Sudan during the second civil war. He spent his childhood in Cairo, Egypt, and Juba, South-Sudan. Mr. Keri came to Canada as a refugee near the end of the second millennium. In spite of his struggles he focused on getting a good education.

Mr. Keri is a University of Alberta student who completed a Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a Biomedical Option with Distinction, in 2016. He is currently completing a Master of Science thesis in Mechanical Engineering. Mr. Keri has been the recipient of numerous educational grants and the Dean’s Research Awards. He is an engineering graduate student in the Bionic Limbs for Improved Natural Controls Lab. He has designed and built software and hardware for an instrumented device for prosthesis assessment, which is now being considered for patent.

Mr. Keri indicates that throughout his journey, he has witnessed the impact of the stories we cultivate and share, which provides the world with meaning and can bring us together. He has worked at the Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers as a tutor, and at Neighborhood Bridges (an agency supporting people with developmental disabilities). He has worked as an interpreter and motivator. He has listened to individuals who have experienced tremendous adversity and he is working to rewrite their stories.
Mr. Keri believes we have the power to do more than just listen. Together we can generate new stories emphasizing inclusion, diversity, and mutual respect among individuals.