�첥��Ƶ announces its 2026 Top 30 Alumni Under 30, an influential group of leaders who are driving meaningful change in their communities and around the world.

The recipients of the sixth annual recognition demonstrate a deep commitment to giving back and are tackling complex social issues across various industries – all before the age of 30.

This year’s honourees are making great strides in fields such as aviation, entrepreneurship, sustainability, health care, technology, AI and more. Together, they are working toward building an innovative and sustainable future, paving the way for future generations.

“Each year, the Top 30 Alumni Under 30 program highlights the remarkable achievements and impact of York’s global young alumni community,” says Julie Lafford, assistant vice-president, alumni engagement. “This year’s cohort features a diverse group of innovators who are shaping the future through their leadership, creativity and volunteerism.”

Since 2021, the Top 30 program has celebrated the success and diversity of the University’s alumni community, while inspiring the next generation of young alumni leaders. 

To view the full list of the 2026 Top 30 Alumni Under 30, and learn more about their accomplishments,  visit the Top 30 Alumni Under 30 webpage.

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Led by Parmeet Singh Channe, a student, Enactus York is empowering students to tackle social and environmental challenges through award-winning entrepreneurship and ventures.

When Channe, a third-year computer science student, was growing up, he was exposed early to stark inequalities. He recalls seeing children his age working in extreme conditions instead of attending school. Those experiences instilled in him a drive to make a difference that evolved into a desire to pursue socially minded entrepreneurship and build projects to create the change he wanted to see in the world.

That motivation led him to �첥��Ƶ and, in April 2024, to a LinkedIn post by Enactus Canada, a registered charity. Channe learned the organization empowers post-secondary students to use innovation and entrepreneurship to advance social impact. Through a network of teams at more than 78 campuses across Canada – and a global network spanning 35 countries – participants develop projects aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and compete by pitching their ventures and demonstrating outcomes on a national and international stage.

“Discovering Enactus felt like finding a platform that perfectly aligned with what I had already been trying to build: using entrepreneurship as a tool for real-world impact,” says Channe.

After learning that a previous Enactus York chapter had dissolved during the COVID-19 pandemic, Channe became determined to resurrect it. Within a few months, he relaunched the chapter, which was officially ratified in September 2024. The group started small, with only two members. In those early days, Channe took on several roles: pursuing partnerships and funding, overseeing project development and working to recruit new members to grow the team into a thriving entrepreneurial community.

Today, Enactus York has grown to more than 90 members, supporting innovative initiatives – each driven by a purpose that reflects what first inspired Channe. “Our goal is to create ventures that benefit lives at scale while improving people’s standard of living,” he says.

In its first year, the group demonstrated its mission through award-winning projects, such as: AR Home Builder, an augmented reality app that helps rural communities to construct sustainable, resilient housing; Modular Homeless Shelters, which redesigns existing shelters with factory-built units to provide housing solutions; and Energent, an intelligent energy management platform that helps property managers reduce consumption and costs while promoting sustainability.

Three more ventures are underway this year. LiftAID connects students with non-profits, helping communities access volunteer support while providing opportunities to develop applicable skills. Easysim helps professors teach economics through realistic simulations, making education more engaging and accessible. Dragoncure is exploring ways to support triple-negative breast cancer treatment – especially in low-income countries – by developing solutions that are affordable, low-risk and aimed at reducing relapse.

Earlier this year, Enactus York took these projects to competition with team members Prabhkrit Singh (co-president of Enactus York), Mohammad Areeb (vice-president) and Samashi Munaweera (project manager of Dragoncure).

In its first appearance at the Enactus Canada Regional Exposition, the chapter earned three podium finishes: Easysim placed second in the TD Entrepreneurship Challenge, Dragoncure placed second in the Innovation & Impact Challenge and LiftAID placed third in the Desjardins Community Empowerment Challenge.

In addition to its Enactus achievements, Dragoncure also earned first place at the Hult Prize Qualifiers at �첥��Ƶ – part of a global competition that challenges student teams to pitch business ideas addressing major global problems. The qualifiers feed into national and international rounds, offering the team a chance to move on to the competition’s final stages and compete for seed funding.

While venture creation and competitions are the chapter's focus, it also serves as a hub. It organizes workshops, networking events and collaborative initiatives that provide opportunities to gain skills in market research, pitching and storytelling, project development and building partnerships. “These experiences not only support venture creation but also prepare students for careers in entrepreneurship and innovation,” says Channe.

Looking ahead, Channe says Enactus York will participate in the Hult Prize Nationals in Montreal in April, followed by the Enactus Canada National Exposition in May, where teams compete for a chance to advance to Enactus Global.

Channe envisions the chapter growing into one of Canada’s leading student venture ecosystems. It boasts more than 10 active projects creating measurable change for thousands of individuals internationally, with Enactus York alumni leading startups and driving innovation across industries.

“We aim to contribute meaningfully to the SDGs while building a generation of students who see themselves not just as learners, but as problem-solvers and changemakers,” he says.

By inspiring others to take action, Enactus York aims to create a ripple effect one person at a time. “Just one tree can provide shade to hundreds of people in its lifetime,” Channe says.

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Kamelia Atefi, an associate professor at �첥��Ƶ’s , believes engineers have a unique role in confronting climate change. A warming world brings heavier rains, hotter summers and shifting soils that crack roads, weaken bridges and damage buildings.

Engineers, who design and maintain much of that infrastructure, are uniquely positioned to respond with innovative solutions.

“We cannot use the standard design procedures that we’ve been using,” Atefi says. “We have to redefine the way we are designing things.”

For more than 12 years, Atefi has been contributing to that mandate. A specialist in geomechanics – the branch of civil engineering that studies how soil and rock behave under mechanical, hydraulic and thermal forces – she is reshaping the field through a climate‑focused lens. Instead of treating the ground merely as a foundation, her work examines how it can actively reduce carbon emissions, improve resilience and support sustainable construction.

For example, among her projects, Atefi is exploring innovations through geothermal energy – the heat stored beneath the earth’s surface – as an alternative source for electricity, heating and cooling.

Making shallow geothermal cooling systems work safely and efficiently requires understanding how underground heat, water and soil pressures interact; miscalculating any of these forces could cause failures to infrastructure, reduction of energy efficiency or even damage to the nearby ground.

Atefi is pursuing this through a collaborative $7‑million project led by the University of Waterloo and funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation's Innovation Fund (CFI-IF). With $500,000 dedicated to her team at �첥��Ƶ, she is collaborating to build the largest geothermal energy and energy geo-storage research centre in Canada.

Using state-of-the-art triaxial testing equipment funded through the CFI-IF project, Atefi will replicate underground conditions in the lab, applying realistic heat, water flow and pressure to soil and rock samples. This allows her team to study how porous materials respond to thermal and hydraulic loads – including those found in geothermal systems and in conditions created by climate change – ensuring that designs can be both safe and efficient for real-world settings.

Atefi's also leads a collaborative project with the University of Guelph, Carleton University and the University of Waterloo that received $250,000 from the New Frontiers in Research Fund (NFRF) – Exploration stream. In this project, she is building on a technique called microbiologically induced calcite precipitation (MICP), which emulates a natural process in which bacteria produce calcium carbonate, a mineral that binds soil grains together.

“The whole idea behind MICP is to use natural microbes that exist in this environment, feed them some nutrients and let them grow,” she explains. “They produce a very natural cement – you can call it bio‑cement.”

Engineers can use this process in situations like mine tailings, which are the leftover materials after valuable minerals or metals have been extracted. If unstable, tailings can collapse or leak toxic water; MICP, however, can turn loose, dangerous tailings into something more solid and safer, using bacteria instead of cement.

While bio‑cementation has been successfully demonstrated in field trials and pilot projects around the world, it is not yet a standard ground improvement method – especially in the contexts Atefi is exploring. “We are looking at northern communities, which are completely isolated,” she says. “They have gravel roads, and we want to improve the quality of those roads in harsh environments using a method that is environmentally friendly, without introducing grouting or chemical‑based materials.”

Atefi is tackling these challenges by engineering new bacterial strains and developing tools to monitor and model how the process behaves under real‑world conditions. “The goal,” she says, “is to understand these behaviours better so bio‑cementation can be promoted and tailored to be stronger in harsher environments.”

Though many of these innovations are still in academic or research settings, Atefi says engineers are uniquely positioned to bridge theory and practice. For her, this means actively contributing beyond the lab as Chair of the Climate Change Committee for the Canadian Standards Association code, which sets technical requirements for engineering, construction and safety across Canada. Through this work, for example, she helped revise the foundations code to incorporate climate‑informed design, translating research insights into standards that guide real‑world engineering projects.

Those solutions are what drive Atefi's work. “It’s about finding ways for engineering to not only respond to climate change in practical, real‑world ways, but to re-think design and construction techniques to help mitigate its effects,” she explains. “We want our work to not just stay in the lab but to actually help communities be safer and more sustainable.”

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Drawing from lived experience shaped by conflict, displacement and homelessness, he is working to drive meaningful change and elevate youth leadership.

A global accelerator for youth-led initiatives, the Youth Impact Council brings leaders aged 18 to 35 together to advance projects on climate change, social justice and innovation. Through resources and facilitation, the council supports and scales the ideas of emerging changemakers.

In his role, Timotewos can propose new initiatives and evaluate those that are brought forward, contributing a thoughtful, community-centred perspective to global decision-making.

The council reviews and votes on projects, then accelerates selected initiatives by connecting them with partners, mentors and networks that support growth and real‑world impact. The initiative was conceived during New York Climate Week 2023 after youth advocate Anna-Grace Millward recognized that young people are often most affected by major decisions, yet rarely included in the rooms where those decisions are made.

“The council’s model prioritizes action over theory, supporting youth-driven solutions that demonstrate traction and potential for growth,” says Timotewos, who studies global politics, human rights and equity, and public administration and law at York's Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies. “When young people are given meaningful responsibility, they rise to the moment. My goal is to ensure that more young people are not only welcomed into leadership spaces, but trusted to help shape their direction.”

Each quarter, members present their initiatives and vote to shortlist high-impact projects. From there, one initiative is selected to receive strategic guidance, media amplification and ecosystem support to help scale its real-world impact.

Born in Hawassa, Ethiopia, Timotewos’ path to global leadership began in circumstances marked by loss and instability. After the passing of two older brothers in infancy and his father’s resignation from local government, his family faced financial hardship. They later relocated to Yemen where, as a seven‑year‑old, he lived through the war. His home and school were bombed, yet his father worked with colleagues to keep the Ethiopian embassy operational, helping evacuate more than 6,000 people to safety. The family received Ethiopia’s National Hero Award in 2015 for their contribution.

Subsequent moves to Ireland and Canada brought new challenges. His family spent seven months in a homeless shelter where he experienced the stigma faced by many unhoused youth. These experiences later shaped his commitment to community service.

In 2024, Timotewos fulfilled a promise he made while living in the shelter by launching a hygiene‑kit drive for unhoused youth. This initiative evolved into Communities Care, a youth‑led organization that has supported more than 3,000 youth across Canada and over 300 in Ethiopia.

He founded Brothers4Brothers, a mentorship and mental health program that raises awareness of men’s mental health, particularly for Black and racialized youth. More than 75 participants have graduated from the program, with many returning as peer mentors, extending the cycle of support and leadership, says Timotewos.

He is also behind the creation of The Kindness Loop, a platform highlighting youth‑led kindness, resilience and community action.

Beyond his grassroots work, Timotewos serves as the youngest member of the TELUS Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Community Board. He is also one of 20 Black youth selected nationwide for the 1834 Fellowship and represents �첥��Ƶ as a president’s ambassador, University senator, BE YU student success mentor lead, Department of Equity Studies representative, and leadership, equity and education ambassador.

This appointment reflects the growing presence of �첥��Ƶ students in global leadership spaces, says Timotewos. “It speaks to the power of youth-led action in building systems that are more inclusive, more responsive, and better equipped to serve communities around the world.”

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Shawn Esmaeeli, a fourth-year student at York’s School of Nursing, , earned the Southlake Champion Award – Extern Award for creating positive change in clinical health settings.

The distinction recognizes an undergraduate nursing student who demonstrates compassion, presence and humanity during their clinical experience.⁠ Esmaeeli, who has worked as a clinical extern at Southlake for close to two years, is praised for his collaborative, kind and attentive approach to clinical care.

Southlake’s announcement of the award highlights how Esmaeeli consistently supports patients facing uncertainty and describes how he “goes above and beyond to ensure patients feel seen, supported and never alone,” whether in the emergency department or offering comfort on the cancer unit. He is also recognized for his ability to work thoughtfully with patients and families, as well as collaboratively with interprofessional teams.

“Shawn ... reflects the very best of what the next generation of health care professionals bring to Southlake,” the announcement states.

Esmaeeli says receiving the award is deeply meaningful, noting the recognition affirms his intentional approach to patient care is making a difference. “It was humbling to be recognized as the clinical extern of the year champion, and this award motivated me even more to continue providing patient-centered care with empathy, respect and dedication,” he says.

�첥��Ƶing nursing at York has helped to shape his perspective by emphasizing empathy, reflection and patient-centreed practice, he says – lessons he will carry forward in his career.

“York has encouraged me to see patients not just through a clinical lens, but as individuals with unique experiences, needs and values. I have learned the importance of active listening, cultural sensitivity and collaboration principles that guide how I communicate with patients and support them during vulnerable moments.”

Melanie Dauncey, undergraduate program director for the School of Nursing, says it’s rewarding to see students excel in clinical practice outside of York.

“Shawn earned this award through his own dedication and commitment to patient care,” she says. “The School of Nursing strives to support the growth of our students, and it’s encouraging to see Shawn translate his learning in ways that consistently reflect a patient-first approach.”

For Esmaeeli, the clinical externship offered real-world insights into the power of compassion and teamwork. He saw first-hand how small gestures of empathy – such as taking time to listen or offering reassurance – can make a significant difference in patient care. Working alongside supportive nurses and mentors showed him that the cornerstone high-quality care is rooted in “collaboration, kindness and a shared commitment both to patients and one another.”

The Southlake Champion Awards highlight contributions from staff, medical professionals, volunteers and learners whose actions shape the patient experience. This year’s recipients were acknowledged during a recent recognition event.

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Engineers Canada, the national governing body representing more than 300,000 engineers, awards its fellow designation to individuals whose leadership, service and impact have strengthened the engineering community through mentoring, advocacy, education, innovation or public service.

"Receiving this designation is a tremendous honour," says Zhu. "For me, this award validates the integrated approach we have taken at �첥��Ƶ, where we strive to push the boundaries of space technology while simultaneously cultivating the next generation of engineering talent. I am deeply grateful to be part of a community that values both technical excellence and the mentorship that sustains our profession."

The recognition adds to a distinguished list of honours for Zhu, a professor in the , director of York’s Space Engineering Design Laboratory and Tier 1 York Research Chair in Space Technology and Robotics. In addition to being a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, as well as an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

�ܳ��’s research focuses on two major challenges in aerospace engineering: controlling flexible spacecraft structures and reducing orbital debris to make space operations sustainable. He has developed advanced methods to model and control deployable components such as solar arrays, tethers and robotic arms, enabling spacecrafts to maintain stability and precision in motion.

He has also created technologies to safely and cost-effectively de-orbit defunct satellites, addressing a critical concern for long-term space access. Through CubeSat and nanosatellite missions led at York’s Space Engineering Design Laboratory, he has turned theoretical designs into flight-tested technologies, strengthening Canada’s expertise in spacecraft dynamics, control and robotics.

At the same time, Zhu has had a profound impact on his students. As leader of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) CREATE Training Program in Space Engineering and founder of the Space Engineering Design Laboratory, he provides undergraduates, masters and PhD students with hands-on experience in satellite development and aerospace research. Students design, build and test CubeSats and nanosatellites, develop robotic mechanisms and lead experiments that fly in orbit.

Many of the students he supervises publish research, present at international conferences and collaborate directly with industry and the Canadian Space Agency. Several former trainees now hold key roles in Canada’s space sector – from spacecraft design engineers to mission planners.

Through mentorship, graduate supervision and fostering a culture of student-led innovation, Zhu encourages trainees to initiate their own research projects, explore start-ups or advanced technologies and pursue novel approaches to space engineering. Together, these efforts continue to strengthen the pipeline of talent feeding Canada’s space ecosystem, resulting in prestigious recognitions like 2025 York's Top 30 Alumni Under 30, Gold Medal of 2024 China International College Students’ Innovation Competition, as well as NSERC and Ontario Graduate Scholarship recognitions.

Zhu latest recognition as a fellow of Engineers Canada, reflects how his research and mentorship have shaped the country's approach to small-satellite innovation and orbital sustainability.

"This honour reflects the core of my career: pioneering research in space technology and a deep commitment to mentoring the next generation," Zhu says. "More personally, it validates the immense effort and passion I have invested in mentorship and community service."

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Shortly after completing a psychology degree at the University of Ghana, Weobong became a collaborator on a psychiatrist’s study of psychosis. He had studied mental health challenges, but witnessing them first-hand gave his learning a new direction – one that would shape his career.

During his field work in Ghana, he met families struggling to care for relatives suffering from severe psychological distress. Some, not knowing better, resorted to desperate measures, like locking loved ones outside. Others were so burdened by stigma that they denied the existence of their family member when Weobong came to their door. Most families, he found, didn’t know help existed.

“There was a huge disconnect between understanding well-being challenges and what treatments existed,” he says. “It was clear they didn’t know that psychosis is treatable. You could see the surprise in their faces when they found out.”

The experience left a lasting impression on Weobong; putting human faces to what he had learned in school sparked his determination to bridge the divide between wellness and access to support.

“Those situations challenge you to think about solutions,” he says. “That inspires me to today.”

The faces and stories he encountered in Ghana stayed with him, becoming a driving force behind a career focused on better understanding emotional, psychological and social heath and breaking down barriers to effective intervention.

Now, Weobong is recognized as a leading voice in global mental health epidemiology – the study of mental health conditions across countries, cultures and contexts.

Over the last two decades, his research has evolved to explore how social, cultural and environmental factors shape well-being, with a focus on low- and middle-income countries in the Global South. He investigates gaps in care, measures mental health across populations and tests community-based approaches in delivering treatment where specialists are scarce.

In one study, Weobong surveyed adults visiting primary health care clinics in three rural Ghanaian districts to measure how often neurological, substance-use and psychological conditions were detected. He found that almost all cases went unrecognized, highlighting the need for simple screening tools and staff training.

Another study examined mental health services in five Ghanaian districts, mapping available resources including staff, medications and community outreach. It showed severe shortages and identified priority areas for intervention, such as integrating psychological support into district health plans and training non-specialist health workers.

Seeing barriers to health care widen globally, Weobong has come to champion community-based innovation that empowers laypeople – those without formal clinical training – to provide effective support. “People think only psychiatrists can provide therapy,” he says. “But it’s clear you can train others to do it just as well.”

The insights gained from this research now guide how Weobong trains future leaders at �첥��Ƶ, where he has been a key member of the School of Global Health since 2023.

He is using his solutions-focused mindset to inform the Global Mental Health specialized honours stream within York’s undergraduate Global Health program. The stream trains students to think critically and develop innovative approaches to strengthen mental health systems, policy and service delivery worldwide.

The program builds on York’s growing leadership in international health education by preparing students to tackle challenges that transcend borders – from addressing stigma to implementing community-based interventions that promote equity and access.

“I challenge students to think outside the box,” he says. “It’s about instilling in them a sense of solutions so they can be agents of change.”

For someone whose field work was so eye-opening, Weobong has centred his teaching on experiential learning – connecting theory to practice to inspire students to become solution-oriented thinkers. In his courses, students explore the links between well-being and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, complete online learning with the World Health Organization, and soon, will work directly with local communities to develop ideas for improving outcomes.

To train a new generation of global mental health leaders – particularly at doctoral and postdoctoral levels – Weobong is creating opportunities for students and early-career professionals to engage with large-scale research projects.

One initiative is HEATSCAPE Africa – a five-year project led by Weobong that examines how heat affects health, sleep and cognitive function among adolescents, women of reproductive age and older adults in Ghana and Zimbabwe. The project aims to identify opportunities for interventions in low-resource communities.

At York, Weobong uses these initiatives to turn understanding into action – just as his early encounters with families in Ghana shaped his approach to addressing health disparities. Today, he sees students and communities as the next generation ready to do the same.

“Global mental health is about being pragmatic,” he says. “If we can get students thinking about prevention and innovative ways to narrow the treatment gap, the next generation will be the one that truly makes a difference.”

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Each year, the Clean50 Awards celebrate 50 individuals from across Canada whose work over the previous two years has created measurable progress toward a cleaner, more sustainable future. Honourees represent diverse sectors, including business, academia, government and advocacy, and are selected for accomplishments that drive meaningful environmental change. The awards also include Lifetime Achievement and Emerging Leader categories, recognizing individuals for career-long or early-stage impact in sustainability.

This year, two �첥��Ƶ alumni have earned recognition, reflecting the University’s continued leadership in preparing graduates who create lasting environmental impact across industries and communities.

From zero-waste brewing to sustainability education, York alumni are shaping Canada’s green future.

Alexis Esseltine, MES '11

Esseltine was named to Canada’s Clean50 for 2025 in the Retail & Consumer Products category for her impact as president of British Columbia’s Tin Whistle Brewing Co., which has seen her turn the operation into a carbon-neutral, zero-waste brewery.

Since taking ownership in 2020, she has reduced total emissions by 25 per cent while quadrupling beer production, achieving an 81 per cent emissions reduction per litre of beer brewed. Under her leadership, the brewery eliminated more than 11,800 kilograms of landfill waste, reused more than 13,700 plastic can carriers and found creative uses for beverage by-products – such as sake kasu and winery waste – by incorporating them into new beers. Tin Whistle also collaborates with Okanagan College on sustainability projects focused on spent-grain recycling, water reuse and algae-based carbon offsetting.

The awards committee commended Esseltine for transforming the beer company into “a nimble, sustainability-led market leader," spotlighting her commitment as a small business to lead on climate action and demonstrate that sustainability and growth can thrive together.

Kathryn Cooper, MEd '10

The Clean50 committee honoured Cooper with a Lifetime Achievement Award for “blending practical skill-building with ethical leadership, preparing graduates to shape organizations, communities and the broader field of sustainability.”

An educator and advocate for sustainability, Cooper has dedicated her career to developing the next generation of environmental leaders. As program manager of social responsibility and sustainability at the University of Toronto’s St. Michael’s College, she leads the post-graduate Diploma in Sustainability and Social Responsibility and the Social Impact Measurement Professional Certificate. The award committee noted that under her guidance, enrolment has nearly tripled since 2016, while the number of expert mentors has grown by more than 300 per cent.

Beyond her academic leadership, Cooper serves as president and chief learning officer of the Sustainability Learning Centre, a national hub for training and knowledge sharing that helps organizations implement sustainable practices and develop “whole employee engagement” in eco-efficiency and restorative design.

Together, Esseltine and Cooper exemplify the leadership in sustainability that �첥��Ƶ fosters in its students and alumni – turning education, innovation and collaboration into meaningful action for a cleaner, more sustainable future.

To learn more about the Clean50 Awards and this year’s honourees, visit .

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This is a concept that Karina Deepnarine wants other Black students to understand – but also something she lives by as someone who sits at many tables. 

The 20-year-old third-year student at �첥��Ƶ is pursuing a bachelor’s honours degree in human resources management with an honours minor in African studies in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.

With a passion for advocacy rooted deeply in her Guyanese heritage, Deepnarine combines academic excellence, strategic thinking and community engagement to challenge systemic inequities and uplift Black communities, both on and off campus. 

Her academic journey is not just shaped by textbooks, but by a desire to understand and change the systems that affect people’s lives.  

She chose her major because it allows her to explore how workplaces can be reimagined as equitable environments. Her minor brings a rich, intersectional lens to her work, grounding her leadership in historical, social and cultural understanding. 

“Combining HR knowledge with African-centred perspectives allows me to create inclusive structures that address systemic barriers while empowering Black communities,” she says. 

This duality forms the foundation of �ٱ���Բ������Ա�’s advocacy where theory meets action, and education fuels empowerment.  

Her leadership extends across several student organizations, where her impact is as strategic as it is inspiring.  

As an undergraduate research assistant and student representative on the executive team at the Harriet Tubman Institute, Deepnarine explores African and African diasporic histories through a non-Eurocentric lens.  

Her work includes leading the upcoming Tubman Talk titled “Unlearning the Post-Colonial Mindset: Confronting Internalized Anti-Black Racism,” a dialogue bridging academic theory with lived realities and community impact. The talk runs Nov. 6 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. 

She’s also marketing director of the Black Business Student Association, facilitating professional development for Black students through strategic partnerships and collaborations with organizations like Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, TD Bank, Onyx Initiative and Scotiabank. Her work ensures that students receive mentorship, networking opportunities and internships, turning advocacy into tangible access. 

“It’s rewarding to see students gain real-world opportunities because it shows the power of advocacy when paired with professional development,” she says. 

Deepnarine also contributes to equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives at York through her roles as vice-president of internal affairs at the Black Women in Law Association, social justice Chair with student-advocacy club United Caribbean Islands, committee member at Race Inclusion and Supportive Environments and peer mentor with (�����۱�).��

But �ٱ���Բ������Ա�’s commitment doesn’t stop at campus borders; her advocacy extends nationwide, serving Black Canadians through her work with Federations of Black Canadians as volunteer engagement and recruitment lead for the Ontario Hub, while also contributing to the Government Relations Committee. 

She says these experiences have sharpened her ability to navigate institutional systems while keeping community impact at the centre. 

“Advocacy requires both grassroots engagement and systemic action,” she says. “It’s about building change from the inside out.” 

�ٱ���Բ������Ա�’s leadership has not gone unnoticed.  

She is the recipient of several awards for her work, including the Justice for Abdirahman Bursary announced this fall, as well as the Rose Mary Brown Award. She was also recognized with Peel Regional Police’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Scholarship in 2023 and the Jacor Marketing Award for Inclusion in 2023. 

Each award is a reflection of her relentless drive to challenge injustice and build sustainable support systems. 

“These recognitions remind me that the work I do matters and that my voice and the voices I amplify are being heard,” she says. 

Deepnarine stays grounded through her heritage, family and community, turning moments of isolation – such as being the only Black student in a classroom – into motivation. 

“Blackness isn’t just about struggle. It’s about beauty, legacy and potential. I carry my last name into every space I enter, and I do it proudly.” 

As a mentor at BEYU, Deepnarine sees her role as helping others realize their worth and step into their power. She approaches mentorship not just as guidance, but as community building. 

And, she believes in the ripple effect: that by supporting one student, you spark a chain reaction of empowerment and leadership across communities. 

Deepnarine is more than a student and a leader; she is a changemaker. Through academic excellence, tenacious advocacy and community dedication, she is reshaping the narrative and helping others write their own. 

“We do have a seat at the table,” she says, ”and I plan to make room for many more.” 

With files from Karen Martin-Robbins

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DHRN launched in April 2025 on the two-year anniversary of the Sudanese civil war, an event that has personal meaning for Merghani whose family is from Sudan and still lives there. Seeing the destruction and hearing from relatives about the suffering, she felt a strong responsibility to help. Her hometown, considered a safe zone, became a refuge for millions of displaced Sudanese fleeing conflict areas.

Late last year, she began raising funds to provide food and medicine to those in camps across northern Sudan, later expanding support to other regions through local volunteers.

Between December 2024 and April 2025, Merghani raised nearly $10,000 through personal outreach and social media and worked with volunteers who distributed food, medicine and emergency supplies. The experience, she says, showed her the power of grassroots solidarity and inspired her to create something more structured.

That structure became DHRN. Since its launch, the network has raised more than $160,000 to provide essential aid to internally displaced people in Sudan, working directly with community organizers on the ground. It is now a federally incorporated not-for-profit in Canada, strengthening its capacity for long-term impact.

“As DHRN grew, I saw how much trust people placed in our work and realized that impact comes with responsibility,” says Merghani. “Incorporating as a not-for-profit created transparency and sustainability, enabling our efforts to grow.” The change allows DHRN to manage funds through an official bank account, build a board of directors, apply for grants and collaborate with universities and NGOs. “What started as a student-led effort has become something much bigger,” she says.

DHRN is an Agents of Change project with York’s Faculty of Health, offering students opportunities to turn real-world problems into tangible advocacy, research and education. Among its first initiatives is , a student-led blog that highlights stories of displacement, resilience and belonging, creating a platform for dialogue and awareness.

Building on that foundation, DHRN launched its on-campus engagement work this fall with its first event, the DHRN Welcome Event, co-hosted on Sept. 24 with the Centre for Refugee Studies Student Caucus at York's Keele Campus. Facilitated by Merghani, the gathering brought students together for small-group discussions on migration, health and advocacy, and invited participants to share experiences and ideas for collective action.

“The event offered a safe space to talk about personal experiences relating to immigration, displacement and being a refugee. I am grateful I was a part of this learning experience,” says Ann Kwarteng, a fifth-year global health student and DHRN blog contributer.

For Zamzam Aini, a third-year global health student and DHRN outreach director, the event was “a meaningful opportunity to reflect and connect with others who truly care about supporting migrant and displaced communities.”

While Sudan remains at the heart of DHRN’s work, the network’s mission has expanded to address displacement more broadly. “The challenges faced by displaced Sudanese families are part of a much larger, global story,” says Merghani. DHRN now aims to support uprooted communities globally and within Canada through advocacy and education, recognizing displacement as a global health issue not limited by borders.

The “network” in DHRN’s name reflects both its student team at York and its partners abroad. On campus, students lead advocacy, communications and research efforts that connect global issues with local action. Internationally, DHRN collaborates with volunteers, health professionals and community organizers in Sudan and neighbouring regions who help deliver aid and assess needs.

Looking ahead, DHRN plans to expand its initiatives through projects like the Displacement Health Resource Library and the Sudan Advocacy Toolkit – digital resources that provide information and practical ways to take action. The network is also developing partnerships with organizations such as the Migrants Resource Centre Canada and hopes to collaborate with researchers who study displacement and health.

Merghani says DHRN ultimately seeks to engage students, educators and community members who want to learn, act and make a tangible difference. “At its core, the network is about solidarity and creating meaningful connections between those affected by displacement and those who want to be part of the solution.”

She adds, “Our goal is to bridge compassion and action, to remind people that displacement is not a crisis happening elsewhere. It’s about humanity, solidarity and the right to health and dignity for all.”

Students, faculty and community members are invited to join future events, collaborations and advocacy efforts. To learn more, visit the , send an email or follow the network on and for updates.

With files by Sarah Merghani

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