I’m Parnian, a multidisciplinary designer and creative based in Vancouver. I am graduating from Industrial Design, with a minor in Social Practice & Community Engagement from Emily Carr University of Art + Design. My core values are: movement, peace, gratitude, kindness (care), and growth. My favourite medium is poetry, and through creative disciplines, I am committed to exploring the intersection of (poetic) design, art, and community. My passion for social & ecological justice have led me to actively lead, participate and collaborate on different projects within my communities. I define my work as an ongoing thread of entangled creations, material exploration, and performance. My design practice is based on community engagement and social innovation. I believe in making-to-know, storytelling, and research through design. I was an athlete before becoming a designer. I am currently obsessed with CrossFit and enjoy teaching yoga/ fitness classes in North Shore. A random note on one of my many dreams is to raise a baby alpaca with my first newborn in a farm, and write my memoir someday.

Abigail Johanna Austin (She/They) grew up in Coldwater, ON a small farm community a few hours north of Toronto, ON. With her parents Michelle and Peter, and siblings Zachary and Olivia. Within her community, Abigail has been involved in her local agricultural society, in 4H, and various other student leadership roles, including Student Body President. Completing elementary school at Coldwater Public School and high school at Orillia Secondary School in Orillia, ON. After graduating, Abi moved across Canada to Sackville, NB, where she is currently completing her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Biology with minors in Physics and Astronomy from Mount Allison University. Her work extends beyond her academics, but as a community leader, namely within her involvement with Enactus Canada, where she has founded and expanded projects regarding period poverty, food insecurity, and the mitigation of plastic waste. Which involves leading over eighty other individuals to make meaningful and necessary change in the face of social issues. Abigail strives to continue her education to become a veterinarian and academic. 

Jack Bailey is a first-generation student completing his second year of a Bachelor of Philosophy in Interdisciplinary Leadership at the University of New Brunswick, double-minoring in French and English. A French immersion graduate, Jack is a committed, bilingual leader who, by building understanding through meaningful listening, strives to lift the voices of others in the classroom—and beyond. His in-depth experience from studies at l’Université du Québec à Chicoutimi and as a panellist for UNB’s Arts Matters conference and Canada’s first Choix Goncourt led to him being named a Young Ambassador of Francophonie in the Americas as well as one of French for the Future’s Bilingual Young Leaders. Working as an animator with Collège La Cité’s French Immersion Program, a teaching assistant with UNB’s Department of French, and now with UNB’s French Resource Centre as a tutor, Jack serves as a shining example that with proper accommodation and mentorship, additional language speakers can attain the same success enjoyed by native speakers. An aspiring language educator and advocate for bilingualism, he emphasizes the importance of remaining adaptive to student needs to have a positive, profound impact on those he meets, mirroring the support received from role models on his learning journey. 

Shafaq is a first-generation immigrant born in Kashmir, whose heritage has deeply influenced her advocacy for education and health equity. Witnessing the systemic inequities regarding sexual and reproductive health equity faced by marginalized communities, she founded the Khairiyat Women’s Health Equity Network, a nonprofit advocating for education and creating accessible resources. As a member of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO’s Youth Advisory Group (YAG) she is involved in the Supporting Youth Navigating Change (SYNC) Together Initiative and serves on the Governance Committee. Funded by the Alberta Innovates Summer Studentship, Shafaq has conducted space health research utilizing neuroimaging through her Alberta Innovates Summer Studentship and has been awarded for her presentation at the Canadian Space Health Research Network Symposium at Western University as well as the Undergraduate Research Symposium at the University of Calgary. Shafaq has also researched race and ethnicity in the context of interdisciplinary research within the Arts and Science Honours Academy and continued her pursuits on a SSHRC-funded project. Shafaq believes leadership is rooted in ehsas—a deep awareness of one’s actions and their impact—and is driven by her commitment to fostering meaningful change that goes beyond accommodating diversity to actively leveraging it for systemic transformation and innovation. 

James Ehiagwina is a third-year nursing student at York University, actively engaged in fostering community and advocating for student success. He is the president of the Canadian Black Nurses Alliance (CBNA) York University chapter, where he promotes diversity and inclusion within the nursing profession. James also serves as the cohort representative for the Nursing Students Association at York University (NSAY), representing and advocating for his fellow nursing students. Additionally, he holds the role of Student Senator at York University, where he works to ensure student voices are heard in academic and policy decisions. In addition to his campus involvement, James is passionate about mental health advocacy. He is a member of both the National Youth Council and Black Advisory Youth Council for Kids Help Phone, using these platforms to raise awareness and provide support for youth struggling with mental health challenges. He also works part-time as a Student Success peer mentor for the Black Excellence at York University team (BE YU), offering guidance and mentorship to his peers. James aspires to become a pediatric oncology nurse practitioner, leveraging his skills, knowledge, and compassion to make a meaningful impact in healthcare and the broader community. 

Darcy Eygun is a researcher, student, educator, and advocate for inclusive learning, deeply committed to using education as a tool for empowerment and social change. A third-year Honours Political Science student at Saint Mary’s University, with minors in Global Development Studies and Philosophy, Darcy’s work bridges local and global efforts to foster equity in education. As a French teacher with the Conseil Scolaire Acadien Provincial (CSAP) and a three-time participant in the federal government’s Odyssey Program, Darcy has designed and led dynamic language lessons for over 600 students across multiple schools in Halifax. Recognizing the barriers faced by French-speaking immigrant students, Darcy collaborates with specialized educators at École Mer et Monde to co-develop lesson plans that integrate cultural and linguistic support, ensuring students succeed academically while preserving their identities. Beyond the classroom, Darcy serves as a Fair Trade Canada Ambassador, leading campus-wide initiatives that promote global equity and sustainability. Internationally, Darcy has conducted research in Colombia on education’s role in post-conflict reconciliation and in The Gambia on equity-driven cross-national educational programs. Balancing academic excellence with hands-on leadership, Darcy embodies the belief that education should break barriers, inspire action, and create lasting social impact. 

Jada Gibson is a fourth-year Honours Health Sciences Program student interested in exploring the intersection between science and the arts. She is passionate about using visual media to create accessible educational material for students, as she understands that science concepts can be challenging for students to learn. Her journey in educational innovation began when she designed board games to help medical students at McMaster University understand difficult anatomy concepts. From there, Jada transitioned to working alongside a team of writers and artists to develop an open-access anatomy resource at her university. She leveraged her robust artistic skill set in biomedical illustration to draw simple diagrams that promote clarity and accessibility. Most recently, Jada co-created a novel course at McMaster University, entitled “Decolonizing and Conceptualizing Anatomy through Arts Practice”. Collaborating with two professors, one from anatomy and one from the arts, Jada helped design a course that teaches students about the different ways the human body is understood around the world. As the teaching assistant for the course, Jada encourages students to embrace their creativity through arts-based assignments and fosters a supportive learning environment. She is eager to begin this new and exciting journey as a 3M National Student Fellow.

Mohammad Akib Hossain is a South Asian Muslim settler in Treaty Four Territory. He is a fourth-year student currently pursuing a Bachelor of Computer Science at the University of Regina. Akib is an emerging student leader, advocate, and volunteer with ample experience working for student organizations and social justice initiatives. He is currently serving on the board of directors at RPIRG and The Carillon newspaper at the university. He is also a marketing lead for the Google Developers Club, social media lead for the Model UN Club, and social media lead for the Computer Science Student Society. Beyond campus, he volunteers with the United Nations Association in Canada and UNICEF Canada, focusing on anti-racism work and youth advocacy. He has been a recipient of the 2024 Henry Baker Scholarship from the City of Regina, the CESL Student of the Year Award 2024, and the Saskatchewan Youth Leadership Award in the same year. 

Achol Jones is a fourth-year Neuroscience student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Her research and teaching activities privilege the learner experience. Through curriculum development, teaching assistantships, and education-focused research, she has participated in every aspect of the teaching and learning cycle. Achol is committed to addressing inequities in education, amplifying diverse narratives, and fostering environments that promote belonging and meaningful learning. At UBC, she developed NSCI 401: Your Position in the Neurosciences, a fourth-year course that focuses on equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization within neuroscience disciplines. The course reimagines science education with social justice as its foundation to prepare students to consider equity at all points in their future careers, rather than as an afterthought. She is piloting the course as a student-led seminar in January 2025. Her current research involves capturing the thoughts and feelings of the UBC Neuroscience community to: (1) inform course development; (2) serve as a model for how institutions can improve their educational environment; and (3) set a precedent for embedding social justice into science curricula. Achol’s other projects focus on building neuroeducation-informed learning environments where students are excited to engage in the process of learning. 

Anna Lukeman is a math education major in her third year of study at Acadia University. She is committed to breaking down barriers to accessibility that affect so many university students. Her work as a teaching assistant in the first-year chemistry labs throughout her degree motivated her to advocate for the varying needs of the students in the lab. This led to her involvement in a research project that examined the experiences of students registered with Accessible Learning Services who were in the first-year chemistry lab. As a result of this work, many changes have been implemented in the labs this year to remove barriers cited by students. Anna is also the director of the Dancepiration club at Acadia, which provides free-of-charge dance lessons for members of the community with disabilities. Through her leadership, the program has grown considerably and now runs twice a week, also involving many Acadia volunteers. Anna will continue to address barriers to accessibility to work towards creating an environment where everyone is able to thrive.