Wesam Kanim

Wesam’s work ethic comes from his mother, who was an engineer in their home country when she moved her family to the United States to escape the Iraq war. His determination has resulted in Provost Honors every quarter since the 2nd quarter of his freshman year, invitations to the Muir College Caledonian Society and Tau Beta Phi, the Biomedical Engineering Society. His major of Bioengineering combines his love of engineering, medicine, and biology. As a way to explore different career paths, Wesam has interned as a researcher at Scripps Research, worked at a local biotechnology company, and continuously engaged in different experiences and networking.

“Throughout college, I learned the importance of mental health personally and wanted to contribute my part to help others.” His interest led him to join a UC San Diego startup called ReLyfe, which personalizes the way people talk about mental health. He uses his talents in marketing and website design to share other people’s stories and help those struggling with mental health. Of Wesam’s many accomplishments, he considers his work at ReLyfe as having the most impact on his community.

Wesam has faced many obstacles in his life, from losing his father, the hardships of being raised by a single mother, being diagnosed and managing a chronic illness, as well as immigration and its struggles.  “Although we didn’t have much, my mother never made us feel like we missed anything. Seeing this inspired me and motivated me to work hard to pursue the American dream.” When he was accepted to UC San Diego, his entire family celebrated with him. His diagnosis of a chronic illness has added additional challenges to his life, but he has drawn on his mother’s perseverance and stayed resilient despite the challenges.