Haya Abu Mealek on her Refugee Experience and Queer Identity

“Two weeks after being accepted into the PhD, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes [...] the auto-immune form of diabetes [...] That last chapter [of my student journey] was about Deanna finding her own resilience.” - Deanna Paolantonio (PhD) Deanna Paolantonio is a proud alumnus of York University. Dr. Paolantonio completed her doctorate in dance studies in 2018 after a long academic career as both an undergraduate and masters student at York. Deanna’s experiences allowed her to combine her interests in dance, dance education, body image, and type one diabetes. Moreover, it was through researching,writing, and defending her dissertation at York that Dr. Paolantonio was able to create the foundation for her non-profit dance workshop D-Dance Inc. In this podcast Deanna outlines how her time at York contributed to her own success cultivating a career path that is fulfilling both professionally and personally. Tags: Post-doc; research; dance; teaching; building a new relationship with my body; thesis; masters; PhD; bridging theory and practice; resilience; health; wellness; well-being; community work; arts-based education; confidence; knowing oneself; purpose; listen to your body; help-seeking; time management Connect with Deanna: Facebook: D-Dance and Deanna Paolantonio Instagram: @dea_bug and @ddance_inc Twitter: @DDanceInc1 LinkedIn: Deanna Paolantonio Connect with her through D-Dance: Website: www.d-dance.org Email: [email protected] Recorded October, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“I’m privileged to be able to attend University [...] this is not a given, this is a privilege and I am thankful everyday to be able to come to school [...] I wake up feeling so thankful for this opportunity to learn.” - Glenn Singh Glenn is a first generation Canadian who is in his fourth year of studies at York University majoring in social work with a minor in political science, with the intention of pursuing graduate studies. Glenn also has the distinction of being the first in his family to attend post secondary school. This is something he takes pride in. Identifying as a racialized male, social advocacy and equity are important to Glenn. Glenn identifies as a feminist and is passionate about animal rights. Tags: mature student; social work; first generation student; transfer student;student leadership; student involvement; commuter student; time management; student governance; mindset; being resourceful; privilege; energy management; forgiveness; self-care Connect with Glenn! LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/glennrsingh2020 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glennsinghjr Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/trini_glenny/ Recorded October, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“My high school was predominantly white. There were a few pockets of racialized groups. I didn't realize it at the time [...] the microaggressions that we had experienced and how that affected the leadership opportunities that we were given...” - Althea Parala  In this episode, Althea Parala discusses three distinct and contrasting educational journeys. We begin with her past in a Catholic high school that was attached to a covenant, then we discuss how that compares with her self-affirming undergraduate student leadership experiences, and we end off with a discussion about her feelings of imposter syndrome (despite evident success) in her Masters in Higher Education, specializing in Student Development and Student Services. Currently, she works at York University focusing on peer mentorship programming. (When out of the office and school, Althea enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and eating her way through Toronto’s food scene, all while likely fighting the urge to book a flight to explore new cultures.) Get in touch with Althea: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/altheaparala/ Recorded November, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“I started to enjoy learning. I started to learn about (social) issues I didn’t know about. I started to see the world around me not just the superficial world I knew.” - Mujtaba Ahmed-Hassan In this episode, Mujtaba shares what it was like to be a cis African-Canadian male that grew up in challenging socio-economic circumstances. While he faced many difficult obstacles, he can confidently say he is living his best. In addition to serving as the senior don of an on-campus residence, he takes pride in being a student, friend, son, writer, creator, and more. Tags: stereotypes; economic hardship; family difficulties; racism; privilege; race; ethnicity; intersectionality; self-confidence; residence life; social work; competition; mastermind; network; mindset Get in touch with Mujtaba on Instagram: mujtaba5204 Recorded December, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“Surround yourself with things that will push you further. And from a health perspective, ask yourself if you can do all these things and still be happy and wake up with energy in the morning without experiencing any kind of burnout.” - Jasmine Hector In this episode, Jasmine discusses her life as a varsity athlete and her transition to pursue another passion and career interest. Jasmine unpacks how she went about this change and the circumstances surrounding the difficult decision. This move ultimately brought her closer to the person she is becoming and had hoped to become. Tags: Varsity; athletics; family illness; first year transition; career development; health education and promotion; time management; energy management; self-care; self-discovery; health; recovery Get in touch with Jasmine on LinkedIn. Recorded November, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“I had to be honest with myself. I had to ask why perfectionism was so important to me.” - Joy Panjaitan In this episode Joy discusses the pleasures and challenges of being a creative student. She also unpacks some unexpected family events and internal pressures which led to her decision to extend learning beyond the classroom, to cultivate resilience, and to grow as a student, designer, and person. Get in touch with Joy LinkedIn:  linkedin.com/in/joysotera Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heyitsjoy Tags: design; specialization; general education; career development; third culture kid; work experience; year off; perfectionism; parental separation; counselling; career development Recorded November, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“Sometimes you need to shift focus. Write everything that makes you happy.” - Kabi Moulitharan In this episode, Kabi discusses his journey through student leadership. Currently the Team Lead of York’s RED Zone, he has led initiatives to assist incoming students with their transition to York. But wait until you hear about his own transition to University. It wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Listen to how he overcame his lowest points in University and what he learned from the journey. Get in touch with Kabi: Instagram or Twitter: @_Kabi23 LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/kabi-moulitharan-b7400819b?trk Tags: first year transition; fitting in; self-doubt; program change; student engagement; boundaries; self-care; fulfillment; student leader Recorded November, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

“It’s OK to struggle. I was so embarrassed by my past, but I think it makes you a stronger person to have had struggles.” - Carli Gardner In this episode Carli Gardner unpacks the challenges which influenced her before and during the process of finding the right “fit” for herself at university. Listen to learn what it was like for her to struggle with mental health & disability and how she became a passionate student leader who engages students of all ages and abilities. If you like this episode, please support by sharing it with someone else. Tags: transfer student; mental health; disability; program change; sense of connection; meditation; taking risks; student leadership Recorded October, 2019. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

In this episode, Liam shares his story of when he felt like he didn't fit in and that grades were the most important markers of success. This changed in University when he invested in bilingual co-curricular and curricular education which propelled him in new and ever-expanding personal, academic and professional directions. This episode is loaded with student success ‘hacks’! Liam talks about how he came out of his shell and his views on dealing with procrastination, time management, aligning co-curricular and academic lives, and making group work ‘work’. He also shared how his linguistic identities have influenced his identity development and so much more! Thank you, Liam! Recorded August, 2018. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. Disclaimer: This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.

In this episode, Haya shares her journey as a 3rd generation refugee woman and former accountant, who at the time of this recording, had just settled in Toronto and completed her first year in Gender and Women’s Studies. This episode is loaded with perspective! Haya talks about her coming out story as a queer woman in Canada, what her experience as a refugee taught her about life, the importance of feeling included on campus, integrating new and different academic and social cultures, and building relationships with peers and faculty members. She also shares insights about being productive, knowing one’s life purpose, taking care of one’s mental health, and so much more! Thank you, Haya! Recorded July 12, 2018. Hosted by David Ip Yam. Music by Jose Miguel. Disclaimer: This podcast does not endorse statements made by guests. This podcast is not endorsed by any organization. Views expressed on this podcast are opinions of the speakers only. If you think you need support regarding mental health, addictions and well-being, please consult a professional and/or a helpline like Good2Talk.