Mahrukh is her school’s Student Representative Council co-president, and was part of its charity’s crew. She is a competitive athlete in four sports, namely basketball. She was in charge of hosting BRIT, the largest Western Canada basketball tournament. She coaches debate, and is a debater, competing at the national level. Mahrukh also plays in her school’s senior band. She has volunteered with the local YMCA, and helped start her school’s Muslim Student Association.

Banin is pursuing a BA in international studies at the University of Saskatchewan. She is the co-chair of the newly established chapter of Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan in Saskatoon. She is also the co-chair of cultural and community engagement with the 30 Birds Foundation. As part of her advocacy work, she has contributed to several Afghan news outlets to raise awareness for Afghan women and girls’ rights to education. She is a volunteer Wushu coach in her community and currently works part-time to help support her family.