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Hussain Ahmad is a PhD student at Queen’s University in the Faculty of Education, where his research explores the impact of mentoring on the development of Canadian school leaders' professional identity. He brings over two decades of experience in academic management and English language teaching, having trained English teachers from 25 linguistic backgrounds as a Cambridge-certified teacher trainer. A published author of more than 20 journal articles on English language education, educational leadership, and academic management, Hussain also serves as a reviewer and editor for international journals. He holds a PhD in Applied Lingusitics, an M.Ed. in Educational Adminsitration from the University of Saskatchewan Canada, an MA in TESOL from the UK, and an MA in English Literature. He is also an experienced IELTS trainer and examiner, with a history of presenting at international conferences.

Mara Boldis is a Master of Education candidate at the Faculty of Education. Over the past five years, she completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts with Honours in Classical Music and Music Education, along with a Bachelor of Education specializing in the Junior/Intermediate sector at York University. In addition to her passion for music, Mara has pursued numerous courses in Dance Studies and English. Her research interests lie in advocating for extracurricular activities as a mandatory component for middle school and high school students, emphasizing the benefits these activities offer not only academically but also in terms of mental health, leadership development, and overall well-being.

Paul’s research is on visa stories and the poetics of migration as he seeks to extend the notion of “narrative” beyond traditional prose or storytelling to include multimodal approaches and different genres, such as poetry, to explore the migration experiences of African immigrants in Canada. Prior to and since joining Queen’s University, Paul has maintained a vibrant and robust academic agenda, exploring the subject of education and learning through creative and critical, and transformative and transgressive lenses. He uses poetic pedagogy and other arts-based approaches to co-create knowledge and facilitate learning in the classroom and other spaces. Paul taught in the Department of Adult Education and Lifelong Learning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria before moving to Canada.

My name is Mohamed Yusuf, I am a current First Year Ph.D. student at the Queen’s Faculty of Education. I am First-Generation, Muslim, Somali scholar, born in Toronto, Canada, and raised in Peterborough, Ontario. I have a background in humanities, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Trent University, and following up with three subsequent degrees in Education at Queen’s University. Starting with my Bachelor of Education in 2019, I graduated under the Primary/Junior teaching cohort, and was able to join two schoolboards (KPRDSB & LDSB) working as an Occasional Elementary Teacher since 2020. In 2021, I continued my graduate education journey, returning to the Queen’s Faculty of Education as a master’s student. During this time, alongside my undergraduate degrees, I took part in varsity athletics, as both an athlete with the varsity men’s rugby teams at Trent and Queen’s, and as a coach with the Queen’s Women’s varsity rugby teams. I recently was successful in defending my master’s thesis which was titled: “Investigating Supports and Barriers Affecting Black Students’ Enrolment and Experiences within Graduate Studies”. My future research interest will continue to look at access to education for Black students, along with the importance of mentorship in Black students’ self-esteem and retention.