Aaron is a marine biologist, educator and conservationist who emphasizes the importance of collaborative science, mentoring, and inclusive and immersive outreach. He has actively sought opportunities to dive deeper into his passion for the ocean, from tagging sharks in South Africa and assisting in submersible deployments in the Gulf of Mexico, to assessing the worldwide effectiveness of marine protected areas in conserving unique reef fishes. His research focuses on understanding the functional importance of marine biodiversity, specially on coral reefs and in the deep ocean, while determining avenues for effective conservation management. As a leader, Aaron places immense importance on remaining authentic to one’s vocation, while supporting others and fostering an inclusive environment for them to explore their own potential as leaders. He founded a mentorship program focused career development for marine biology students, led Halifax Shark Week which supported outreach for underrepresented youth in Nova Scotia, and actively contributes to scientific research through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and working group collaborations across the globe. Ultimately, Aaron aims to be an advocate for marine life and the communities that depend on them, adding his voice among many to call for a sustainable future for our blue planet.

“Anna Mercer is a 21-year-old bilingual soprano and conductor from Coley’s Point, Newfoundland and Labrador. She is completing an undergraduate degree in music and French at Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Anna is active in the choral community and in 2019, accepted the position of Choral Scholar with the Shallaway Youth Choir. She has conducted ensembles at Choral Canada’s conference, Podium and the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. In 2022, Anna represented Canada with the Shallaway Youth Choir at the World Choral Expo in Lisbon, Portugal. In 2021, Anna was awarded the Ivan Palmer Award in Choral Music. In 2018 Anna founded the Storm Jib Youth Choir, which focused solely on authentic NL folk music and the music of Indigenous Peoples. For the past three years, Anna has worked for Community Music Literacy in Coastal Labrador where she teaches piano and music theory to musicians on the coast of Labrador.

Anna is an accomplished soprano with countless performances under her belt. In 2019 Anna was the first ever vocalist to be awarded Debut Atlantic’s Award for Music Excellence. Anna received the Kiwanis Music Festival Rose Bowl awards in 2015, 2017 and 2018, and competed in the National Music Festival in Sackville, NB.”

Oliver Storseth, a 4th year Bachelor of Science student at St. Francis Xavier University is pursuing an advanced major in Chemistry. As the pandemic progressed, Oliver recognized the lack of volunteer opportunities for students – a void for the students and those who could be served. As such, he created the Unified at X program based on his high school experiences of creating a safe and inclusive sport environment. At Unified at X, individuals with disabilities and student-athletes engage in meaningful sport, build connections, and have fun while removing the barriers for many individuals with disabilities typically face. In recognition of his creation and lead with Unified at X, Oliver was the recipient of the AUS Community Service Award in 2022 which is given to an individual who shows commitment to volunteering and community service in Atlantic University Sport. Unified at X is just one of many of Oliver’s lived experiences working or volunteering with individuals with disabilities. Other examples include respite care, Special Olympics, L’Arche Antigonish, and Unified Basketball. Oliver plans to pursue a medical degree upon graduation and will continue in leadership roles where he will give a voice and advocate for those who cannot advocate for themselves.

Oliver is a servant leader providing voice and opportunity for those often not invited to the table.

Reilly Sullivan is a 4^th-year biology student and member of the women’s varsity basketball team at the University of Prince Edward Island. Reilly grew up in Quispamsis, New Brunswick, as the oldest of seven children, where she learned the importance of being a role model and looking out for others. Reilly is hardworking, compassionate, and has excelled in areas of leadership, academics, and athletics, exemplified by multiple awards including the Student Union Campus Leadership Award, Robert Haines Memorial Science Award of Merit, and being a three-time Academic All-Canadian. She is motivated to seek healthcare-related opportunities outside the classroom that contribute to improving people’s quality of life. She is a volunteer at the Charlottetown hospital, a student mentor to first-year students, the president and co-founder of the UPEI Global Brigades organization and organized the 2022 Charlottetown Terry Fox Run. Today, she continues to expand UPEI Global Brigades by organizing volunteer groups in Central America and advocating for leadership courses that offer critical teachings on international matters. As well, Reilly’s work with the Terry Fox Run has inspired her to pursue cancer research with the Murphy Lab at UPEI, where she is performing computational analyses on breast cancer tissues.

SunMin Park (she/her) is a fourth-year undergraduate student pursuing an Honours in Biology with a minor in Biochemistry at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick. Originally from South Korea, growing up as an immigrant woman in Canada developed her passion and commitment to the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion and carving out inclusive spaces for intersectionality. In the pursuit of her education and life, she always strives to be a “bridge builder” – someone who brings communities together and creates a path to move forward, for everyone. As such, her work on campus and in the community reflects her passion to work with youth from historically marginalized and under-represented groups and the intersectionality of youth engagement, public health, and health policy. As a student who also spends a lot of time in the research lab, SunMin innovates by improving access to STEAM-related educational opportunities for young children growing up in rural New Brunswick communities as well as creating resources and initiatives to ensure science and research are accessible to all.

Liam O’Toole is a fourth-year student enrolled in the International Political Economy program at Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. Liam is the co-founder and Managing Editor of Bishop’s Undergraduate Research Journal, an interdisciplinary publication that showcases the research conducted by Bishop’s University undergraduate students. The journal takes an activist approach to academic publishing, making a conscious effort to promote the scholarship of underrepresented groups and first-generation students. In the 2021-22 academic year, Liam served as the Students’ Representative Council’s Student Success Manager, overseeing a small team of student employees who organized grassroots initiatives to foster student excellence outside of the classroom. The department organized many inaugural events, such as Student Success Week, an undergraduate conference for the social sciences, and a guest speaker series. Liam has been awarded an Experiential Learning Grant to conduct primary research in the United States, 1^st prize in the Canadian Society for the Study of Religion’s annual essay contest, and an “Academic Impact Award” from the Students’ Representative Council. These awards complement Liam’s mandate to reform undergraduate academic publishing and make undergraduate research a more inclusive environment for first-time researchers.

Naomie is a 4^th-year civil engineering student specializing in structural engineering at the University of Waterloo. She is an active community organizer, as a founding member of the NSBE Waterloo chapter in 2019. She helped lead and grow the organization throughout the global pandemic, by pitching creative methods to connect to students virtually and helping create partnerships with companies such as Ciena and Stantec to provide professional development opportunities to students. She actively mentors junior students and has connected numerous students to opportunities within her network. She has advocated for university-wide changes in her role as an Anti-Racism Consultant on the Co-operative Experiential Education working group while also hosting speaking engagements in collaboration with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board she challenges high school-age students to provide students with tools for a holistic approach towards achieving their greatest ambitions. She has also been a speaker for Engineers Canada, HBHAS, advocating for inclusive spaces in the engineering profession where people can show up as themselves. Naomie has also created an online platform, Sehintific, where she generates scientific content that is understandable to all audiences while providing insights on internships, studies, and leading a balanced lifestyle.

Sarah is a fifth-year Concurrent Education student from Otonabee, Ontario currently working towards her Bachelor of Education, after completing her Bachelor of Arts in History at Nipissing University. Sarah has been involved in student government at Nipissing University over the past four years, serving as a Director-at-Large for the Nipissing University Student Union, holding the position of Education and Professional Studies Student Senator, and serving as the Vice-President of Advocacy & Awareness for the student union. Sarah has worked with the Dean of Teaching and the Senior Instructional Designer of Nipissing University’s Teaching Hub to co-facilitate a variety of events. Including co-moderating a Professional Learning Community book club that addressed topics such as hidden financial and racial inequities that post-secondary students face, while also bringing the student perspective to these conversations to help work towards a more equitable university environment. Sarah also worked with Nipissing University staff and administration to plan and facilitate Nipissing University’s first-ever Academic Week which consisted of workshops for students to see the support and learning opportunities that are available to them at Nipissing University. This inaugural Academic Week was well attended and received and has become an annual event at the university.

Landon Foley is a fourth-year BSc. in Kinesiology (Honours) student at the University of Calgary. Driven by his own mental health struggles, Landon is passionate about the idea of everyday leadership, and how one can impact others through community building. A former Community Ambassador within Residence Services and Orientation Volunteer Assistant, Landon has cultivated community via countless initiatives, including conducting the training of hundreds of student volunteers for the first in-person Orientation at the University in three years, creating approved business proposals for new student study spaces, and speaking at multiple leadership events for students from across western Canada. The current captain of the varsity men’s rowing team at the University of Calgary, Landon has played a large role in promoting the sport of rowing across the city, serving as both a coach and volunteer with the Calgary Rowing Club. An avid scholar, Landon recently presented research at the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine Annual Symposium, and his honours aim to improve the knowledge base on the impact of traumatic knee injury on muscle function. He aims to integrate his understanding of human connection with his research interests professionally in coaching multiple populations from a holistic health perspective.

Shanleigh McKeown is an environmental engineering student at the University of Saskatchewan with certificates in Professional Communication and Ethics, Justice, and Law. Throughout her life, Shanleigh has advocated for kinder institutions, primarily working within the undergraduate engineering education sphere during her time at the University of Saskatchewan. She has spent the last three academic years as a director for the Canadian Federation of Engineering Students (CFES), acting as their President this past academic year and representing nearly 85,000 undergraduate engineering students across Canada. As CFES President, Shanleigh has worked extensively with Engineers Canada, the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board, and Engineering Dean’s Canada to advocate for equitable and compassionate approaches to education and the critical social and environmental issues facing our world today as a result of climate change. Shanleigh’s goal as a student leader has always been to center kindness throughout the intuitions that she works within by recognizing the limitations of bureaucracy to authentically love the people who are a part of these institutions. Her leadership philosophy centers empathy when it is hard, prioritizes equity over equality, and creates a space for people to come as they are to be celebrated and loved.