Graduate Spotlight: Koami Soulemane Hayibo

Why I chose Western

I originally came to Western because my advisor, who I had worked with during my master’s degree in the United States, moved to Canada and offered me the opportunity to continue working with him here. When I looked into Western and life in Canada, I felt like it would be a place where I could really see myself fitting in and growing.

Highlights of my Western experience

A huge part of my experience at Western was adapting to life in a new country and learning how to build a community here. Coming to Canada during COVID was challenging because everything was closed and I didn’t know anyone, but over time I found spaces and people that helped me feel at home.

One of the most meaningful experiences for me was discovering Western International. It was the first place where I really connected with other international students and realized there was a welcoming community for newcomers. I also became very close with the people in my lab, which was incredibly multicultural, and together we built our own small family here in Canada.

My Western experience has been really empowering and helped me grow both personally and academically. I came to Western with more of a science background and limited engineering experience, but over time I gained the confidence to pursue engineering research and grow as a researcher. I also learned a lot personally through the support systems and people around me, especially during difficult moments.

Favourite memories of my time at Western

One of my favourite memories was connecting with people through Western International and my research lab. Building friendships with people from all over the world and finding a sense of community here really changed my experience and helped Canada feel more like home.

Another favourite memory was meeting my girlfriend after moving to London. We first connected through a local Facebook group for making friends in London, Ontario, and eventually bonded over bowling.

An accomplishment I'm especially proud of

One accomplishment I’m especially proud of is designing and building my floating solar panel research system from scratch as part of my PhD work. My research focused on floating solar panels and how they could function in Canadian winters when lakes freeze. I developed a low-cost system using air pumps to help prevent ice from damaging the panels.

I’m also proud of receiving the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, which supported my research during my time at Western.

A fun fact about me

I love karaoke nights at the Grad Club. My go-to karaoke song is “Country Roads,” but one of the most fun songs I’ve performed is Rihanna’s “Shut Up and Drive.”

My plans for the future

After graduation, I’ll continue at Western as a postdoctoral associate in Earth Sciences after receiving a postdoctoral scholarship. I’m excited to continue doing research while bridging the gap between engineering and earth sciences.

In the long term, I hope to remain in academia. I love both research and teaching, and my goal is to continue building a career where I can do both while sharing knowledge with future students.

My advice for new students

Even during the toughest moments, remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel. Keep persevering and don’t let difficult situations distract you from your goals. Western has so many support systems and services available, and they really can make a difference if you take advantage of them.