Eddy Avila (he/him/his) - Executive Director
Eddy holds a Bachelor of Medical Sciences degree from Western University, specializing in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. While volunteering at Western, Eddy became interested in student issues and was eventually elected as the President of the University Students’ Council. Eddy took the skills he learned at the USC to Queen’s Park, where he became the Legislative Assistant and Issues Manager for the Minister of Community and Social Services. On his off time, Eddy loves to climb indoors and outdoors, exercise, eat lots, drink coffee, and play PokémonGo.
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Irum Chorghay (they/she/hers) – Communications & Operations Coordinator
Irum holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Classics (Greek and Latin) and Classical Civilizations from the University of Toronto. Irum values community and lifelong learning, and her experience as President of UofT's undergraduate Classics Students' Union played a pivotal role in inspiring her to be an advocate for equitable education in Ontario. Having spent the last few years running events, doing administrative work, designing publications, conducting research, and even working as a survey archaeologist, Irum considers herself a sort of jack-of-all-trades – and a master of none! When she isn't learning some new social media or design tricks, Irum writes poetry, solicits book and music recommendations, or takes a trek around the places she is grateful to call home.
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Malika Dhanani (she/her/hers) - Research & Policy Analyst
Malika holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Baccalaureate of Applied Science in Child, Youth, and Family from the University of Guelph. Malika is passionate about policy analysis and has engaged in policy work on youth homelessness and housing in Canada, national home care, and childcare in Ontario. In her spare time, Malika enjoys listening to music and singing her way through life. She is an avid reader and a sucker for a good enemies-to-lovers trope. She has recently been working on her photography skills and loves spending time outdoors. (Fun fact: Malika has been going camping every summer since the age of two!)
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Shemar Hackett (he/him/his) – Research & Policy Analyst
Shemar holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology, a Masters in Political Management, and a Minor in Religious Studies. After completing his undergrad degree, he served as the Vice-President (Education) for the McMaster Students Union and worked with OUSA to advocate for students across the province. Throughout his term, he focused on post-secondary affordability, campus accessibility, and building safe and inclusive communities. After obtaining his masters, he worked for a government relations firm in Ottawa, supporting clients in the financial services and technology sector. In his downtime, Shemar enjoys pottery, playing video games, and watching movies.
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Vivian Chiem (she/her/hers) – Advocacy & Communications Intern
Vivian is currently working towards her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Double Minor in Environmental and North American Studies, and Specialization in Public Policy at Wilfrid Laurier University. Vivian is very passionate about volunteering and has been part of clubs since her elementary days. She has devoted her entire time to Wilfrid Laurier Students' Union, from being an Orientation Week Icebreaker to the Activities Team Coordinator. Having the opportunities to enhance the university student experience, Vivian hopes to continue to leave a positive impact on her community. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys nature walks and playing the guitar.
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Sreenidhi Jaganathan – Research Intern
Hi everyone! My name is Sreen (Sreenidhi) and I am OUSA’s Research Intern for the summer. I am a recent graduate of Western University with a Bachelor of Science in Genetics and Political Science. While at Western, I was heavily involved with the University Students’ Council, specifically in their Peer Program as both the Gender Equality Network Coordinator and the Associate Vice President of Peer Programs. At OUSA, I am excited to develop my policy development and analysis skills to bring me closer to my goal of creating and advocating for equitable, accessible, and inclusive policy. In my free time, I love to doodle on my iPad or binge TV shows and movies! Very excited to see what this summer at OUSA holds!