A self-described extrovert, Madona Khalil (ChemE 1T5+PEY) gains energy from social interactions and building community. As a teenager, she was extensively involved with her church – teaching Sunday school and running camp activities. But oddly enough, she never took part in her high school events. During university, she was ready to step out of her comfort zone and fully immerse herself in her new environment, the Department of Chemical Engineering & Applied Chemistry (ChemE) at U of T.
“I believed that getting involved somewhere as diverse as ChemE would help me grow,” recalls Khalil.
And getting involved is exactly what she did! From first through fourth year, Khalil not only took part in several student clubs and committees, she also held executive positions within many of those groups. Fresh from her return from PEY Co-op, Khalil was elected Co-Chair for both Chem Club and ChemE’s annual Dinner.
“I was excited to take on these executive positions because they gave me opportunities to apply the teamwork, time management, problem solving, and critical thinking skills that I had gained through Skule and my PEY Co-op experience,” explains Khalil.
Through her leadership, Chem Club helped raise the highest dollar amount achieved by any department for the 2014-15 Graditude Campaign, and successfully created three memorabilia videos for ChemE’s annual Dinner. It was at the dinner where Khalil met Bill Troost (ChemE 6T7), President and CEO of Peel Plastic Products Limited. Impressed by Troost and his company, Khalil took the initiative to apply for a position at Peel Plastics upon graduation and landed the gig!
“I have held two positions since graduating from ChemE, and both have been with Peel Plastics,” says Khalil. “My first position was as an Inside-Sales Analyst. This role helped me gain a holistic understanding of how the business operates – from sales to production to technical development. This is where I learned how to interact with clients, manage a ton of data, and how to navigate that data.”
Today, Khalil is a Scheduler and Supply Chain Analyst at Peel Plastics, which has her engaging with the production floor and leading various projects. “I love this job! It’s so dynamic, and it’s allowed me to strengthen my project management and leadership skills,” declares Khalil proudly.
Ever grateful for the connections she’s made through ChemE, Khalil is happy to mentor current students through U of T Engineering Connect, the Faculty’s exclusive online platform for alumni and students. Connect with Khalil and thousands of other U of T Engineering students, alums, faculty, and staff by going to uoftengineeringconnect.ca.