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Tara Thomas

Tara Thomas

Student Support Coordinator/Strategic Planning Committee Representative

EGSS

Education

23rtv2@queensu.ca

Tara is a Master of Education student at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on decolonizing the baking and pastry arts curriculum by expanding it beyond Eurocentric traditions to include African, Asian, and other global pastry practices. With over a decade of professional experience as a baker, she has worked in five-star hotels, major convention centers, and as a hospitality instructor teaching a range of culinary and hospitality courses. She holds a B.Sc. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and a Diploma in Baking and Pastry Arts Management.

In her roles as both the Student Support Coordinator and Strategic Planning Committee Representative, she is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and engaging environment for all education graduate students. She aims to contribute meaningfully to initiatives that strengthen community, promote equity, and align the EGSS’s goals with the diverse needs of the student body. 

Individual Responsibilities

Student Support Coordinator:

  • Organize and execute EGSS sponsored academic (e.g., events in partnership with the SAAS office, faculty events, research events) and social events (e.g., welcome back, winter holiday, end of year) based on the identified needs of the membership. 
  • Plan events to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion for the membership. 
  • Keep detailed records of event details and contacts, including attendance, cost/budget, and suggestions for improvement to maintain consistency and ease transition into the role. 
  • At least one coordinator must attend each meeting of the Good and Welfare Committee and advise on issues related to the wellness of the membership. 
  • Support membership wellness (e.g., sending expressions of sympathy, congratulations, etc.) as deemed appropriate. 
  • Represent the membership’s needs by communicating any questions, ideas or concerns to the EGSS executive. 

Strategic Planning Committee Representative:

  • Attend monthly meetings of the Strategic Planning Committee. 
  • Represent graduate concerns and other needs to the SPC during the review and creation of the Faculty of Education’s strategic plan. 
  • Attend subcommittee meetings within the SPC. 
  • Attend additional meetings both at the faculty and student levels for the SPC.