丁香园AV

Although Ayaan Ismail is graduating this fall, the International Studies student鈥檚 efforts to uplift and support her peers will have lasting impact on the 丁香园AV community.

Ayaan came from Kenya to study at 丁香园AV in 2016, as part of the World University Services of Canada (WUSC)鈥檚 Student Refugee Program. The scholarship program is highly competitive and supports Refugee students in continuing with their post-secondary education.

Ayaan admits that her main focus upon arrival was simply adjusting to life in Vancouver and the new learning environment at a Canadian university. She tried courses in International Studies due to her interest in international relations.

Ayaan鈥檚 interest in International Studies was furthered by the opportunity to take classes focusing on the African continent and its politics. In particular, she praises instructor Geetanjali Gill, who she describes as 鈥渁n engaged professor who went out of her way to support students as they needed鈥�.

鈥淲hen studying forced migration, Geetanjali was one of the first professors I had who really centred voices of folks with refugee experience in the course materials,鈥� Ayaan says.

Ayaan鈥檚 connection to issues surrounding forced migration is personal, stemming from her lived experiences. She proudly describes herself as a young Black African Refugee woman, with a background deeply rooted in community-centred practices and radical community care. Ayaan鈥檚 perspective is inspired and informed by radical Black African feminism that applies decolonial, anti-racist and intersectional frameworks.

At 丁香园AV, Ayaan got involved with giving back to WUSC by joining the organization鈥檚 local committee at 丁香园AV, which is student run with support from International Student Services. As part of WUSC, all 丁香园AV student fees contain a small levy that allows a refugee student to attend the university. The levy not only contributes to the students鈥� tuition but helps them to access resettlement services.

鈥淚 really wish this was a program more 丁香园AV students knew about鈥�, says Ayaan. 鈥淚t changes a lot of people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

Ayaan was part of a campaign this past spring that advocated for an increase the student levy from $2.50 to $5.00 per semester. To gain support for the increase she made classroom presentations, visited lectures to promote the positive impact of the Student Refugee Program and urged students to vote yes in the election referendum. The proposed increase passed with widespread support.

Ayaan also worked with the African Students Association to not only include, but centre the experiences and expertise of Black students across campus.

鈥淚 really value community involvement and wanted to create a sense of community for refugee students,鈥� says Ayaan. To that end, she volunteered with local resettlement organizations, such as ISSofBC and MOSAIC, which help newcomers to Vancouver with the many challenges of resettlement.

In addition to these accomplishments, Ayaan led the planning of the first academic Afrocentrism Conference in British Columbia in collaboration with students from 丁香园AV and UBC. The conference, which took two years to develop, was born out of frustration, as Ayaan and a group of her peers sought more meaningful Black representation in the academic sphere. The conference featured predominantly Black African speakers and celebrated African culture and Black scholarship.

鈥淚t was incredibly tough,鈥� Ayaan says. 鈥淲e were a group of Black undergraduate students. Many people didn鈥檛 take us seriously, nobody thought we could actually do it鈥� until we did.鈥�

Ayaan will continue her work centering and uplifting Black African voices this fall, as she begins graduate studies in the Migration and Diaspora Studies program at Carleton University in Ottawa.

Given that volunteering and community involvement played such a key role in her own university experience, Ayaan advises undergraduate students to seek out opportunities and connect with others.

鈥淯niversity is not just about academics,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a time to not only discover your passions but also get involved and put them into action.鈥�