Deanna Mohamed Community Leadership Award

Open to full and part-time students enrolled in any year of study in any program at any campus.

Application assessment will consider

• Financial need
• Leadership in the community through extra-curricular activities and/or volunteerism
• Good academic standing
• Self-identification: African Nova Scotian or of African Descent (Black, African Canadian or African American)

About the donor
The Black Employee Resource Network developed the Deanna Mohamed Community Leadership Award to honor Deanna’s outstanding work in her community.

Deanna was born and raised in the historical African Nova Scotian community of New Glasgow. Deanna has worked in the field of education for 20 years. She started her career as an African Nova Scotia Student Support Worker at New Glasgow Middle School and North Nova Education Centre. For the past 15 years, she has been employed at NSCC, where she currently works as the Student Services Advisor and African Canadian Supports at Pictou campus.

Deanna has been a Board/Committee member for many community groups and organizations, some of which are the provincial Africentric Advisory Committees for the Employment Support and Income Assistance program with the NS Department of Community Services, and Kids First Organization in New Glasgow; The Town of New Glasgow UNESCO Race Relations and Anti-Discrimination Committee, local School Advisory Councils, Emceeing community events, being part of multiple committees within the NSCC, as well as being a Work Term/ Co-op Education Supervisor for several students. Deanna is excited to also become a new Board member of the Pictou County Partnership in Fall 2023.

In 2012, Deanna was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for providing mentorship and inspiration to young adults within the African Canadian community and for helping to build a more inclusive and understanding society. In 2017 she received the Award of Merit Recognizing Contributions Towards the Elimination of Racial Discrimination from the Town of New Glasgow.

Deanna is a sought-after keynote speaker and workshop facilitator on a variety of topics related to Africentricity, Equity and Inclusion, Islam, Leadership and Motivation, African Nova Scotian History and Black Lives Matter. Deanna is passionate about education and a staunch advocate for equity and inclusion, especially leveraging educational and employment opportunities for Black and African Nova Scotian people.