Contribution to Humanity Alumni Award Recipient: Olga Shmaidenko, BSc ’05 (Honours Science and Business, Biochemistry)
By Elizabeth Kleisath
Communications Officer, Advancement
Amidst a world of possibilities to use the skills and talents she developed in Waterloo Science, Olga Shmaidenko, BSc ’05 (Honours Science and Business, Biochemistry), has chosen to be a humble driver for change in the world. As a photojournalist with her platform WOW Woman, she seeks out other change-makers, and profiles women from around the globe to showcase stories of perseverance, tenacity and hope.
“My favourite part of my job is to present people back to themselves in a multidimensional way that blows them away, it’s very rewarding,” she says. “Every person and story I write, I’m incredibly moved, I’m so proud of them.”
Olga’s wide array of experiences in Waterloo’s Science and Business program set her up for this success, teaching her to be open to trying new things, and empowering her to find the opportunities that resonated with her desire to make a difference. Since then, Olga has stayed connected to Waterloo by hiring coop students while working at an orphanage in Brazil, then applying her biochemistry knowledge to HIV vaccine research, roles where she knew she could make a difference.
My time at Waterloo opened up my worldview to so many possibilities. Students travelled all over the world for their coop terms, I went to New York City, and even applied to a job in the Arctic too! Because I was exposed to a variety of opportunities through coop, I had the courage to move abroad, and also to change my career and know that I would be okay.
Olga spent 9 years in New York City where she worked for a nonprofit company developing a vaccine for HIV. During this time, she was inspired by her travels to begin profiling women around the world to help them in their businesses and projects. This project has now become her full-time role, as she writes stories to amplify the experiences of women from Ukraine and around the world.
“WOW Woman started as a passion project when I was working for a public health non-profit organization in New York,” says Olga. “There is so much injustice, and many of the women I profile aren’t featured on the news, but their stories are just as important, if not more. I was curious and felt a responsibility to write about them.”
WOW Women around the world interviewed by Olga. Yellow and red tags are interviews with Ukrainian women, and blue tags are other women Olga has personally photographed and interviewed.
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Olga, who is Ukrainian herself, shifted her WOW Woman platform to highlight the stories and struggles of women in her country of birth, with the series Inside Ukraine. Her goal is to highlight the real people living behind the news headlines, and those personally affected by the fighting. She profiles women who have been impacted by the war: those who have signed up to fight on the front lines, paramedics, refugees, volunteers, and Ukraine’s allies helping from afar.
“It's very emotional because some of the women I write about are defending my country, Ukraine. I'm so proud. I am so incredibly moved, and try to do my part to give them exposure,” says Olga. “That's what I feel like I need to do right now, mixing my deep connection to Ukraine with my particular skill set. I am also immensely proud to have recently been awarded a medal by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, for volunteering, fundraising and supporting the brave Ukrainian defenders.”
In recognition of her own inspiring journey as an advocate for others, Olga was awarded Waterloo Science’s 2024 Contribution to Humanity Alumni Award, bestowed upon alumni who demonstrate accomplishments in community impact, volunteerism, leadership, advocacy, or humanitarian endeavours. Olga has also been a panelist on Waterloo Science’s 2023 International Women’s Day High Tea Social.
Discover more information about Science’s Alumni Awards and nominate yourself or someone you know to be recognized by Waterloo Science.
