Hello! My name is Aisha Mahmoud (she/her), Vice-President Education at the McMaster Students Union, and I’m excited to tell you a little bit about myself, how I got here, and where I hope we can go next.
My journey into education advocacy was no accident. My parents moved my younger brother and me from Egypt, to Northern Ireland, to Saudi Arabia, and finally to Canada, all before my 9th birthday. By then, I had experienced education systems across the world. In school, I took every opportunity to talk about diversity and equity and the different ways I’ve experienced these things in my own life. In grade 11, when I was elected as a student trustee for my school board, I had a lot to learn about politics, governance, and the many moving parts of large educational institutions. I was grounded by what I already understood about education: that every student, no matter what they looked like or where they came from, deserved a fair, well-rounded, high-quality education. These principles carried me through two years on the school board and my time as President of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association, where I developed and honed my skills in provincial lobbying.
When it came time to choose a university, McMaster was always where I knew I should be. Hamilton was the first city that felt like home, and this campus had been a formative part of my life, even before I became a student. I jumped into post-secondary advocacy through OUSA, attending two General Assemblies in my first year. I later led the MSU’s Diversity and Equity Network and helped embed equity into the foundation of our student union’s work.
Writing this at the start of what is sure to be an intense year, I try to ground myself in the beliefs, principles, and experiences that have been so formative to my work. I think about the path that I am paving for myself and for those that will come after me. These are responsibilities that I certainly don’t carry lightly. I will surely lean on those around me, my incredible part-time staff at the MSU, and the Steering Committee. Especially in my role as VP Finance at OUSA, I will think about the professors who, instead of pushing me towards the more traditionally “female” business specializations, gave me the confidence to take full advantage of a business education and explore all that it had to offer.
Although the work we do may feel never-ending, I hope to still find pockets of joy in the things that I love, like playing and watching sports, listening to a new album from top to bottom, or eating through Hamilton’s incredible food scene with my friends.
There is lots to look forward to. Thanks for reading, and feel free to reach me at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
That’s all (for now), folks!