About Us
Our Purpose
Welcome to the YorkU Student Hub. The purpose of our project is to provide accessible and up-to-date resources that support the experiences and needs of York University students, over the age of 18, who are a part of the Black community and may be living in precarious or vulnerable situations, looking to support their individual growth, or seeking to support a fellow student through informative resources. As a result of COVID-19, our team acknowledges the challenges with accessing community-based resources in person and the difficulty in gaining awareness of the local support systems in place. Therefore, our team recognizes the power of social media to spread awareness and give attention to these resources that are now also modifying the delivery of social services and supports to become accessible virtually.
Our platform can be accessed through a personal laptop, public desktop, or mobile device any time of the day or night. A key element of our purpose is to develop our platform according to academic research and informed insights from the University Women’s Club North York, the York University Black Student Alliance and the Human Rights & Equity Studies Department of York University to ensure information is relevant and incorporates a framework of intersectionality to recognize the needs of all members of the Black community.
Our vision is to help create productive and safe futures for York University’s students.
Meet Our Team
Amanda Ha
Hi, my name is Amanda and I am a 4th-year student in Health Studies. My passion has always been to fight for what is right, and I believe that giving students a chance to succeed no matter what their background is, is what is right. Other than that, I have always had an interest in health, health policy and I aim to pursue a career in medicine after I finish undergrad! I immigrated to Canada at the age of 1 and am the child of 2 refugee parents. For this reason, standing up against racial injustice comes second nature to me. My hope is that this project helps people like me to fight the barriers of the system and find solutions for success in life.
Natalie DeLuca
I am Natalie and I’m a student from the Department of Social Science, specializing in Criminology. I frequently examine the processes of criminalization, social control, and the policing of racialized and gendered populations within Canadian society. Canada aims to promote a discourse of multiculturalism, diversity, equality, and liberalism however, this is not the case for all individuals on Canadian soil. The presence of racial disparity in Canada requires critical analysis and exploration, coupled with advocacy, allyship, and fostering awareness and change amongst all members of society. The ability to apply my theoretical knowledge in an experiential learning environment motivated my participation in C4, as I desire to create change and assist others. We hope that you enjoy our website and that our interdisciplinary knowledge shows!
Elena McCue
I’m Elena and I am a student in the Interdisciplinary Social Science program. I am constantly looking at multiple disciplines to approach social issues and have become well versed in the use of multiple frameworks to approach a problem. I am able to use my education throughout this project to help combine all of our disciplines and have a concise project while applying each of our different expertise. I have been able to help mediate and work between our team if there is a loss of communication and help keep us on track so that we are able to reach each of our checkpoints. With this project continuing forward we are able to help in combating structural racism that those of minority groups are facing and hopeful be a stepping stone for those who are looking for help or to help in this project.
Miriam Farid
Hi, my name is Miriam and I am a kinesiology and health science student at York University. I have always had an interest in health and aim to pursue a career in the healthcare field following graduation. In addition, I am very passionate about fighting for equal rights and standing up for people who are discriminated against based on race, gender, sexuality, and socioeconomic status. I chose this project in order to contribute to making my community a better and more inclusive place, especially for racialized populations. Through my acquired skills and disciplinary knowledge in health, I was able to work as a part of a team to create a tool that would ensure equal opportunities and access to basic necessities among York University students and the surrounding community.
Kimiya Asadi
Hi, my name is Kimiya and I am in my final year of the law and society program. My passion to pursue my socio-legal studies has highly motivated me to utilize my acquired theological knowledge and research skills to analyze and diagnose problematic Canadian policies that directly or indirectly result in further oppression of vulnerable populations, namely Black and Indigenous population, and discover practical solutions to such important socio-political issues. This project provided an opportunity to use my acquired knowledge and disciplinary skill-set and take steps to create a more fair environment for Black students of York University.
Vithyah Subramaniam
Hello, my name is Vithyah and I am a concurrent education student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts double majoring in Cinema and Media studies and Political Science. I am also a Teacher Candidate co-registered in the Bachelor of Education program. Upon graduation, I plan to work as a secondary school teacher and want to further my reach as a community activist. My interests are in understanding political systems, and institutions, and dismantling how they contribute to racist practices within our communities and in schools. I also have an interest in diversifying workplaces and advocating for the representation of marginalized groups in the media industries. As a Teacher Candidate, I hope to foster inclusivity and cultural awareness in secondary schools and to evoke activism amongst young people.
Dalia Hussien
Hi, my name is Dalia and I am a student in the Educational Studies program. As a student in this program, and as a student who is eager and fervent in all things relating to education and the educational system, I have been able to incorporate what I have learned in my interdisciplinary in relation to firstly engagements and how to focus on the development of professional skills especially when addressing issues in relation to Anti-Black racism and systemic racism. Secondly values and focusing on who is given the education and why an educator would need to educate. Also through representations, there is a focus on understanding and the general idea of education. My discipline has taught me and equipped me with essential skills necessary to succeed in educational work outside of the traditional classroom and benefit from the study of education.