Manara Abdelgadir is passionate about bringing people together and advocating for others.

Whether through her academic work as a third-year Brock University Nursing student, involvement in extracurricular clubs or on-campus jobs, or participation in her faith community, she is dedicated to ensuring “everyone has a seat at the table and their voice heard.”

Her commitment to fostering inclusivity is what drove her recognition as this month’s EDI Changemaker by Brock’s Office of Human Rights and Equity (HRE).

The award is presented each month to a student or employee who has helped advance equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) on campus.

Monique Beauregard, Manager of the Black Student Success Centre, points to Abdelgadir’s work engaging with students in the Faith and Life Centre to promote the University’s newly opened Masjid (Muslim prayer room) and her provision of insightful personal reflections during an event addressing systemic racism within nursing as two examples of her impact at Brock.

“Manara has always been and continues to be a leader on campus when it comes to promoting inclusive spaces for students at Brock,” Beauregard said. “She is passionate about making a positive difference for those around her which is ultimately why being named an EDI Changemaker is so fitting.”

A member of the Muslim Student Association and former Social Media Lead with the Faith and Life Centre, Abdelgadir said it was “heartwarming” to see the positive response the Masjid opening garnered across campus.

“It was one of our most liked and shared posts, especially with Muslim students and alumni who were really excited about the space,” she said of the social media coverage she spearheaded. “Seeing Brock taking these steps forward for the growing population of Muslim students has also been really nice.”

She enjoyed working collaboratively with others across campus on the launch of the prayer room, noting she is proud to share the word about the significance and future potential it represents.

“Our five daily prayers are so important to our day, and it’s really nice to have a dedicated, comfortable and safe space to pray in; it’s like having a little piece of home here on campus,” she said. “We even spend a lot of time there just to decompress, and it’s also a great space for all students to visit if they want to learn more or connect with each other.”

She said the prayer room also creates a sense of community on campus, and she looks forward to seeing that positive momentum help build an even more inclusive campus culture going forward.

“To me, EDI means progress; it means that people who look like me will have better opportunities than I did,” she said. “It also means also being able to advocate for the things I want to see, and being heard and responded to with respect.”

She considers being able to recognize and then address a need in the community as a privilege and says it is her dream to one day apply that dedication to helping others to a future career as a relief nurse.

“EDI is very important to being a really good nurse, because every single person and patient that you encounter, you get to advocate for them in some shape or form,” she said. “Our professors did a wonderful job of reinforcing the importance of being equitable and inclusive and providing culturally sensitive care, which is so important to patients. EDI is at the heart of being successful in nursing.”

EDI Changemaker criteria and nomination information is available on the HRE website.