Queen’s Student Affairs is recognizing five students and one student group for their leadership on campus and in the local community.  

The 2025-26 recipients of the Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism (I-EDIAA) Impact Award, the Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award, and the Peer Leadership Award were honoured at a reception earlier this week (March 23) for their significant contributions to creating an engaged and inclusive environment.

“I want to congratulate and thank this year’s award recipients for their outstanding contributions to the campus and local communities,” says Interim Vice-Provost and Dean of Student Affairs Corinna Fitzgerald. “Student leadership happens in a lot of places and contexts. The university’s Bicentennial Vision articulates Queen’s as an environment that shapes leaders. It reinforces that our student experience is defined by leadership as a shared practice, grounded in learning, service, and community. This year’s award recipients are shining examples of this vision in action.”  
 

Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism (I-EDIAA) Impact Award

The Indigenization, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Racism (I–EDIAA) Impact Award is presented annually to Queen’s students who have contributed to making Queen’s a more inclusive campus, and advancing UN Sustainable Development Goals, including #10, reduced inequities. The 2025-26 recipients are:
 

Lucas Perri

Lucas is completing a Bachelor of Health Sciences Science degree, and is being recognized for advocating for students who are caregivers, an often overlooked population in equity efforts. He has established Queen’s Youths for Hospice which has grown to be a national initiative, spearheaded the creation of an advocacy guide, and first-authored two research publications about young carers. A Commitment Scholar, Lucas helped organize the annual Conversation Café, and is currently co-developing a student video series about identity, culture and faith. Lucas has worked to make research and research programs more visible and accessible to equity-deserving students. He serves as an Equity Ambassador for Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment; he is the accessibility planning lead for the Queen’s Fashion Industry Network’s annual conference, he is part of the AMS’s Accessibility Queen’s Advisory Council, and he established the Kingston CNIB Astronomy Club for visually impaired individuals.  
 

Edward Sy

Edward, a Bachelor of Health Sciences student, led equity and accessibility focus groups on BHSc courses, and began developing resources – work that is now a research project. As AMS Social Issues Commissioner, Edward engaged the AMS Healthcare Plan provider to increase gender-affirming care coverage, reworked the AMS Hiring and Appointment, and Accommodations Policies to reflect the needs of students with disabilities, and developed an AMS Culture and Equity Survey, an AMS Board Equity Working Group, and the AMS Equity Strategic Framework and Action Plan. They also strengthened the AMS Equity Caucus, and helped establish a mentorship program that pairs local Black youth with Black Queen’s students. Edward has worked at the Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion, and has brought together Indigenous student leaders and campus partners in the Indigenous Student Engagement Circle.
 

Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award

The Brian Yealland Community Leadership Award is presented to students who work with, and encourage, local youth who are experiencing social, behavioral, economic, or other challenges by helping them realize their worth as individuals and their potential to achieve. It was created in honour of Brian Yealland, Chaplain at Queen’s University for 32 years, and aligns with UN SDGs, including #1 No Poverty, #3, Good Health and Wellbeing, and #10, reduced inequities. The 2025-26 recipients are:
 

Shawn Cordeiro, Jake Heinbuch, Luke Heinbuch, Luka Parikh, Dominic Sferrazza

Kingston Homeless Alliance

This group of Bachelor of Health Sciences students forms the core team of this campus club, that focuses on homelessness in Kingston through acts of service, education, and advocacy. They have built partnerships with local shelters, organizations, and other student clubs, coordinating youth volunteers to create and distribute 1,000+ care packages, some with student-made baked goods, mittens, scarves and hats. The group works with clients at drop-in centres, bringing in guests, including student barbers who provided haircuts. They have redistributed excess food from student events, run community meals, and developed a handbook that outlines ethical engagement practices and processes for their organization. They have visited Grade 5-8 classrooms to talk about homelessness using a video, presentation and an equity-based card game, making a big impact among students who said they didn’t want the session to end.  
 

Zein Hammad  

Zein’s work with local youth includes coordinating 65 peers to deliver after-school programming at the Boys and Girls Club South East, and providing pay-what-you-can tutoring to underserved K-to-12 students, with proceeds going to local charities. Zein founded Little St Nick Foundation Queen’s; he and his team have sourced, packed and delivered 500+ gift bags to pediatric patients at Kingston Health Sciences Centre, designed to reduce these children’s anxiety.  In high school, Zein founded an initiative called STEMBuddies, and he continues to create barrier-reducing resources that make growth opportunities more accessible for youth. For example, the STEMBuddies handbook compiles dozens of leadership, volunteering and enrichment programs, and outlines eligibility and application steps. Zein also mentored equity-deserving youth, introducing them to university pathways through a Faculty of Health Sciences summer outreach initiative.
 

Peer Leadership Award

The Peer Leadership Award is presented to students who, through their commitment, skill, dedication, and interest in helping others, have exemplified excellence in peer-to-peer assistance and outreach. The 2025-26 award recipients are contributing to several UN Sustainable Development Goals, including #3 Good Health and Wellbeing, #4 Quality Education, and #10, reduced inequities, and #16 Peace, Justice and Strong institutions. The recipients are:  
 

Simarjeet Singh

A Sociology major in the Faculty of Arts and Science, Simarjeet has demonstrated sustained peer leadership across governance, operations, academic support, and first-year transition programming. He is currently Managing Director, AMS Student Life Centre, leading with an approach described by peer nominators as centering on “accessibility, empathy and building systems that help his peers to thrive.” As an ambassador at Summer Orientation to Academics and Resources (SOAR), Simarjeet supported incoming students, answering questions, making effective referrals, and meaningful connections. As a gender-based violence peer facilitator, he led peer conversations about consent and bystander intervention; as a Co-Director with Queen’s TedX club, he fostered an environment where peers say they felt comfortable, valued and heard. Simarjeet also stepped in - mid-cycle - to the role of Chief Electoral Officer, Residence Society, and led governance reform and policy rewrites to help stabilize the organization.  
 

Ashiq Abdul Rahiman  

A PhD student in Civil Engineering, Ashiq is being recognized for multiple peer mentoring roles. As a Resume Coach with Career Services, Ashiq has contributed extensively to the program. At the Yellow House Student Centre for Equity and Inclusion, Ashiq has run pop-up coaching appointments. Feedback surveys show 100% satisfaction, and consistently include comments like "Ashiq is the G.O.A.T.! Ashiq has brought new students to the Yellow House, developed programming, served as a mentor, and strengthened ties between the Yellow House and the Association of International Graduate Students at Queen's. Through that Association, he has organized and coordinated festivals such as Holi, Diwali, and Ramadan events at the Queens University International Centre and Yellow House, creating spaces where students can celebrate together and find community. Ashiq also carries this commitment into academic spaces, mentoring newer graduate students as peers.  

Learn more about the Student Leadership Awards on the Student Affairs website. Students received their awards alongside staff members recognized with Mike Condra Outstanding Student Service Awards.