When Alexa Mouawad walked across the stage at Quebec City’s Théâtre Capitole on Oct. 14 to accept the Forces AVENIR Personnalité 1er cycle (Undergraduate Personality) award, she did so carrying the memory of the person who inspired the accomplishments and values that earned her the award: her father, Alex.
In its citation, Forces AVENIR, which celebrates student engagement and leadership across Quebec, described Mouawad, in her third year of medical school at McGill, as “a student committed to improving the health of vulnerable populations and driving innovation in her practice.” Her journey, they noted, “weaves together science, resilience and social justice with remarkable brilliance.”
That resilience took root early. When Mouawad was just 12 years old, her father, who had been in and out of hospitals battling cardiovascular disease, died suddenly. Overnight, her world changed. Not only did she lose one of her greatest sources of love and encouragement, she also stepped up to keep the family electronics business running.
“I was just 12 but I had spent so much time with my father in the shop, I knew what to do,” she recalled. “My mom handled the management and finances, but I would come home from school to work in the evenings doing repairs and handling clients. It was our way to stay afloat, and in a way, it kept me connected to him.”
That connection was strong, built through a lifetime of love.
“He absolutely adored his three daughters,” Mouawad said. “He was the fun dad, always finding ways to make us laugh.”
Finding purpose in service
After her father’s death, Mouawad found comfort in both the Leamington District Memorial Hospital (now Erie Shores HealthCare) in Leamington, Ontario, and Hôtel Dieu Grace Hospital (now Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare) in Windsor, Ontario, where she volunteered after school, spending long hours helping patients, families and staff.
“I remember seeing two of my teachers come in as patients,” she said. “It made me realize how quickly life can change and how important it is to be there for others.”
That spirit of action soon grew beyond the hospital. As a teenager, she founded the Youth Troop, a volunteer program that encouraged young people to get involved in community service. The initiative was later adopted nationally by the Canadian Cancer Society – her first taste of creating change on a larger scale.
After high school, Mouawad earned three undergraduate degrees – in biochemistry, chemical engineering and computer science – from the University of Ottawa. She began her professional life as an engineer, working in process optimization and software development before deciding to pivot toward medicine.
“I loved engineering, but I was getting too comfortable,” she said with a laugh. “One day I just woke up and said, ‘That’s it. I’m applying to medicine.’ It was something that had always been in the back of my mind, and I knew if I didn’t act on it, I’d lose that motivation.”
Now in her third year of medical school at McGill University, Mouawad is channelling both her technical and humanitarian instincts into ophthalmology, a specialty that bridges innovation and global health.
“I was drawn to ophthalmology because it’s so technology-driven,” she said. “You work with imaging, microsurgery and AI-based diagnostics, but at its core it’s about restoring sight and changing lives.”
She is developing new imaging and diagnostic tools for retinal diseases and has worked on several AI and machine-learning projects aimed at improving eye-care outcomes.
Healing beyond borders
Mouawad’s ambitions extend well beyond the lab or hospital. A dedicated volunteer with Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) in Canada and Argentina, she is committed to ensuring that access to health care is treated as a right, not a privilege.
“I’ve always had a humanitarian perspective,” she said. “We don’t choose the circumstances we’re born into, but we can choose to help close the gap between privilege and need. Every person I meet teaches me something new, and those encounters inspire me to keep going.”
She has worked with Indigenous communities in northern Quebec, migrant populations in Montreal and has medical missions planned in Ecuador. Her work, she says, is driven by the belief that stories and human connection are as vital to medicine as science itself.
“I love hearing people’s stories,” she said. “Those who’ve faced hardship often have the most inspiring ones, and they remind me why I do what I do.”
Carrying the legacy forward
While her father’s death remains a defining moment, Mouawad also credits her mother as a pillar of strength.
“My mom was incredible,” she said. “She taught us discipline, hard work and independence. How to stand on our own two feet. Everything I’ve achieved comes from the foundation she built for us.”
When asked whether her father still motivates her today, Mouawad nods.
“It’s been many years, but it still feels like yesterday,” she said. “When I decided to apply to medicine, I felt like I was reconnecting with that part of my childhood — being back in hospitals, remembering the moments we shared. It felt like I was finally back on the path I was meant to be on.”
For Mouawad, her achievements aren’t about recognition, but about carrying her father’s spirit forward — one patient, one innovation and one act of compassion at a time.