Giving Day 2025: High-achieving USask student sets sights on future robotics career

For University of Saskatchewan (USask) engineering student Sahas Mittal, receiving major scholarships in his first year of studies was “transformative.”

“By easing the financial burden of university, it has given me the freedom to focus more fully on my classes while also getting involved in opportunities outside of the lecture hall,” he said. “I’ve been able to take part in student design teams, attend workshops, and engage in campus events that have enriched my learning and helped me grow as both a student and a leader.”

Mittal, a high-achieving student who is entering his second year at the College of Engineering, reflected on his experiences in advance of USask’s annual Giving Day. Giving Day 2025, to be held on Sept. 10, will enable USask’s community of donors, alumni, faculty, staff, and students to come together in support of students, groundbreaking research, and more.

Mittal, a graduate of Carlton Comprehensive High School in Prince Albert, Sask., maintained an average of 99 per cent throughout his last three years of high school—despite experiencing financial and resource barriers, largely due to his family immigrating to Canada from India in 2017. Although Mittal was employed on a part-time basis as a high school student, which meant sacrificing some of his free time, he still earned his glider pilot license through the Air Cadet program and reinstated the robotics club at his school.

In his first year of university, Mittal was awarded a $30,000 Chancellors’ Scholarship as well as a $3,000 USask Entrance Scholarship. He was also selected to receive the prestigious $120,000 Schulich Leadership Scholarship. Through The Schulich Foundation, entrance scholarships are awarded annually to 100 high school graduates enrolled in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) undergraduate program at 20 partner universities in Canada, including USask.

For Mittal, the scholarships have made a world of difference.

“From my perspective as a student, donor support plays a vital role in helping us achieve our dreams,” he said.

“Many students face financial challenges that can limit their ability to fully focus on academics or pursue extracurricular opportunities. Scholarships and donor contributions ease that burden, giving us the freedom to dedicate ourselves to learning, research, and community involvement. Beyond the financial aspect, donor support is also a source of encouragement. Knowing that someone has invested in our future inspires us to push harder, aim higher, and one day give back to others.”

Mittal chose to study engineering to follow in the footsteps of his father, a mechanical engineer. Math and science were Mittal’s best subjects in high school and he has always enjoyed problem-solving, so engineering seemed like a natural fit for him.

“In high school, I became extremely interested and passionate about robotics,” he said. “The natural continuation to follow this passion was to study engineering.”

Mittal described his first year in the College of Engineering as “an eye-opening and incredibly rewarding experience.” He appreciated the opportunities to meet new people and to connect with students in various disciplines and years of study, including other Schulich Leaders at USask. He enjoyed his classes and valued learning from his professors and peers as well as applying theoretical knowledge in practical ways as a member of the Huskie Formula Racing design team.

For Mittal, the best part of studying in the College of Engineering “is how much emphasis is placed on hands-on, practical learning from the beginning.” In his first year he particularly enjoyed the Engineering Discipline Experience course “because it introduced the complete engineering design process through various projects,” he said.

“I worked on creating improvements for model rockets during this course, and the experience gave me an early sense of what it’s actually like to work as an engineer,” Mittal explained.

“That same practice carries forward into the upper years through student design teams, where we apply classroom knowledge to real-world projects and learn how to collaborate across disciplines. Being part of the Huskie Formula Racing team has been one of the highlights of my time here; I’ve had the chance to contribute to designing, building, and testing a race car while developing problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership skills.”

After he completes his engineering degree, Mittal plans to begin a career in robotics and automation because he is excited “about how these fields can make every-day processes smarter and more efficient.”

“My immediate goal is to gain hands-on experience through research, industry projects, or working with innovative companies,” he said. “Over time, I’d like to combine that experience with my interest in entrepreneurship to create innovative solutions to the new challenges of our increasingly tech-focused world.”