Student Award in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

RikkiRene Greene is a Bachelor of Education student at Cape Breton University, specializing secondary education with endorsations in French and Social Studies and a strong commitment to equity, inclusion, and student well-being. Her work is grounded in the belief that education can be a powerful tool for social change, particularly for youth facing systemic barriers.

RikkiRene brings over a decade of experience supporting youth in school and community-based settings. From 2019 to 2025, she worked as a Community Outreach Worker with SchoolsPlus in Cumberland County, where she supported complex-case youth through collaborative, school-based services. Her work focused on reducing barriers and amplifying youth voice, including supporting student-led initiatives such as food programs, hygiene supports, and school-based projects.

She remains deeply engaged in community advocacy and youth leadership. RikkiRene is a member of the TEDxPugwash planning committee, where she has supported both youth and adult speaker selection, as well as volunteer coordination for the annual event, helping to elevate diverse voices within her community.

RikkiRene also served on the planning committee for the Cape Breton Victoria Regional Centre for Education Youth GSA Conference, a collaborative initiative between Cape Breton University and the CBVRCE. The conference brought together high school students from across Cape Breton to celebrate and strengthen their Gender and Sexuality Alliances. She supported event logistics and co-emceed the conference alongside her peers in the CBU Bachelor of Education GSA, helping to create a space rooted in connection, visibility, and belonging for 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

As an emerging educator, RikkiRene integrates equity-focused and culturally responsive approaches into her teaching practice. She is also a certified facilitator in programs such as Roots of Empathy and DBT Steps-A, and continues to support inclusive school communities through her advocacy and leadership.

RikkiRene identifies as a queer woman from Cape Breton and draws on her lived experience to inform her relational, empathetic approach to education. She plans to gain practical, hands-on classroom teaching experience before pursuing a Master of Education in Guidance, and intends to continue working at the intersection of education, community, and youth advocacy.

Timi Idris (she/her) is a PhD candidate at Dalhousie University whose work centers Black health, wellbeing, and equitable access to opportunity. Her research explores the wellbeing of Black women in nonprofit organizations, with a focus on how structural factors, workplace cultures, and racialized gendered expectations shape their experiences. She draws on community-engaged and qualitative approaches to center lived experiences and contribute to more just and responsive systems.

Alongside her academic work, Timi has led and supported initiatives that create pathways for African Nova Scotian and other Black students to pursue careers in health. Through mentorship, program development, and community engagement, she works to address systemic barriers in education and increase representation in health professions, helping to build more inclusive and equitable systems.

Beyond academia, Timi engages spoken word as a form of knowledge translation, using art to make research more accessible, culturally resonant, and community-driven. Her practice bridges research and storytelling, creating space for reflection, dialogue, and healing. She has been actively involved in community work across Nova Scotia, including with organizations such as the BIPOC Mentoring Academy, and the Racialized Student Academic Network, supporting Black youth, students, and professionals.

Timi is a recipient of the ResearchNS Scotia Scholars Award, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation Scholarship, and a SSHRC Doctoral Scholarship, recognizing both her academic excellence and community impact. Her contributions have also been recognized through several honours, including being named Saint Mary’s University’s 2021 Young Alumni of the Year and one of Canada’s Top 30 Young Impact Leaders in 2022. Through her work, she continues to advocate for systems-level change that advances equity in health and education, while building pathways that support Black communities to thrive.

Audrey Michaud is a fifth-year student pursuing a double major in Psychology and French Studies (Linguistics profile), and she is the first in her family to attend university. Her academic journey focuses on analyzing power dynamics and language practices, particularly within minority Francophone communities. She is interested in how language reflects identity and influences well-being, and she plans to pursue graduate studies in sociolinguistics with the goal of teaching and conducting academic research.

She has been actively involved in student life since the beginning of her university studies in 2021. In 2023, she founded FripUni, the first university thrift store at the University of Moncton, designed as an inclusive space without gendered categorization, accompanied by an annual fashion show highlighting the diversity of styles and identities.

Audrey has held several positions within the Fédération étudiante du centre universitaire de Moncton (FÉCUM) and the Student Association of the School of Psychology, as well as three terms with PRISME, the university’s 2SLGBTQQIA+ association, including serving as president last year. Her role as Vice-President Internal at FÉCUM allows her to make more equitable decisions and represent the diversity of the student body, ensuring that student associations have the resources and support needed to offer inclusive and representative activities. These experiences have enabled her to create safe spaces, foster dialogue and participation, and support the development and well-being of students.

Outside of academia, Audrey nurtures her openness to the world through travel, outdoor activities, and reading, particularly works addressing Indigenous and cultural realities. Her journey reflects her commitment to promoting inclusion, equity, and diversity, both at the university and within the broader community, and to making every space welcoming and respectful for all.