Inclusive Impact: Student Life staff
Inclusive Impact is a new series celebrating the work of Student Life staff members making strides in equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, and Truth & Reconciliation principles.
Care, justice and hope.
Updated May 29, 2026
Featuring Michael Adia
“I value this work personally because I care about humanity and the environment.”
“I value this work personally because I care about humanity and the environment.”
As a Health & Wellness counsellor who helps students manage their unique racialized university experiences, Michael Adia takes the principals of Truth & Reconciliation and EDIA to heart.
Providing one-to-one counselling and psychotherapy rooted in anti-oppressive practices for racialized students, he’s proud to support people as they navigate their experiences, especially those who continue to be marginalized because of their race, gender and sexuality, religious affiliation and disability.
Together with the team of gender-affirming care providers at Health & Wellness, Michael deeply values re-designing workshops tailored to the needs of students, and co-facilitating programs like Transcending, the skills-building mental health group for Transgender, Non-Binary and gender-diverse individuals.
His passion for care extends beyond students, too.
“I hope that we can afford staff the same accessibility initiatives and flexibility that we provide for students in need,” he says. “This could be about flexible hours, mental health days or breaks, the ability to work remotely as needed and more intentional wellness programs for staff.”
And although his role includes an emphasis on EDIA and Truth and Reconciliation, he stresses that these principles need to permeate all work undertaken by Student Life staff.
“It should always be part of our work, especially if you are in a leadership position,” he says. “It’s about using justice as core value to guide the work that we do every day.”
As for the future of Student Life, Michael believes that through inclusion, we can do great things.
“My hope is that we can all work together toward a just workplace and build a community of care in and around us,” he says. “It’s not just about attending workshops and trainings. It’s about being an active anti-racist, an active anti-oppressor and active ally.”
Joy, connection and healing
Updated April 28, 2026
Featuring Folashade Kortee
“Creative expression and cultural connection are central to my wellness and my practice.“
As a Métis-Cree and Nigerian woman, Folashade Kortee, Indigenous Wellness Counsellor & Coordinator, has experience navigating institutions that weren’t built with her in mind. So she understands how important it is to help students feel safe, seen and supported at U of T. In fact, she considers it both a professional and personal responsibility.
“For me, this work is about honouring my ancestors, my communities and the students I serve,” she says. “It’s about addressing harm while also creating spaces for joy, cultural connection and healing.”
A traditional hand drum carrier, artist and singer/songwriter, Folashade integrates cultural practices into institutional settings in ways that feel respectful and intentional.
“Seeing students reconnect to culture, identity and community as part of their healing journeys is incredibly meaningful to me,” she says.
Folashade also finds satisfaction in the moments where students feel able to show up as their full selves, both in physical spaces and wellness programming. She values collaborating with others who are committed to working with care and integrity and deeply understands the importance of offering trauma-informed counselling grounded in Indigenous worldviews and spaces where Indigenous students feel affirmed rather than scrutinized.
While she acknowledges that work in Truth & Reconciliation and EDIA can feel uncomfortable at times, Folashade urges folks to feel it all.
“Discomfort is not the same as harm,” she says. “Honest reflection, accountability and a willingness to sit with hard truths rather than rushing to fix, are all things that are needed in growth.”
For Indigenous students specifically, Folashade hopes to see continued investment in spaces that center belonging, self-determination and cultural continuity.
“I’d love to see long-term, well-resourced commitments that prioritize relationship-building with Indigenous and equity-deserving communities,” she says. “I hope this work continues to move beyond performative gestures toward accountable change.”
Being the Changemaker
Updated March 30, 2026
Featuring Janet Fitzsimmons
“Solidarity can be built when we make EDIA and Truth & Reconciliation a routine part of our everyday work.”
Janet Fitzsimmons brings her activism to work.
With decades of experience to draw on, she approaches EDIA and Indigenous Truth and Reconciliation with a strong sense of personal responsibility.
“It matters to me that I participate in reconciliation individually,” she says. “I am definitively and directly beholden to BIPOC lives for the privileges I receive in my life, and particularly to Indigenous people for the care they have taken for the land I call home and its ability to sustain me.”
In her role of Coordinator, Co-Curricular Learning, Janet incorporates her background to foster that same passion in students.
“I try to create space in which students can explore concepts without performing and to connect their lived experience to the topics we’re talking about,” she says. “I hope that I’m preparing students to make decisions about how they want to show up as social change actors.”
By creating the Changemakers Certificate, Janet helps students do just that. The program allows students to learn about social change movements practically, exploring issues of inequity and systemic harm, while helping them take on social justice in a way that feels personally meaningful.
“I learn so much from students,” she says. “And I’m inspired by their courage and the energy they bring to this work. My favourite moment is when I see students connecting their lived experience and identities with the concepts in our workshops.”
Committed to her own growth and learning, Janet participates in green land rehab, educates herself about the human costs of colonialization and builds her own abilities to interrupt and disrupt colonial structures and practices.
And she believes that meaningful change happens when EDIA and Truth & Reconciliation are part of daily practice.
“Solidarity can be built when we make EDIA/Truth & Reconciliation a routine part of our everyday work,” she says. “When we speak about it explicitly and with intention, and when we bake it into our programming.”
Listening and knowing.
Updated February 24, 2026
Featuring Deshawna Dookie
“It starts with active listening, both inside the therapy room and on a global scale.”
Deshawna Dookie, Wellness Counsellor & Coordinator at Health & Wellness, believes deeply in blending clinical practice with ancestral knowledge.
As a Black, female clinician working in the field of mental health, Deshawna understands how important it is to acknowledge a patient’s history in order to meet their unique needs. Addressing the historical impact of racial discrimination and systemic inequity allows her to work with oppressed communities rather than against them.
“It starts with active listening,” she says. “Both inside the therapy room and on a global scale.
It’s that openness and attention to detail that helps Deshawna truly connect.
“I see a lot of myself and my family history in the stories of the students we work with,” she says. “Hearing from students that they feel they can be themselves in their therapy sessions – and not have to dilute themselves or their culture – reminds me that we are doing important work in creating culturally competent therapy spaces.”
With a Master of Social Work in Indigenous Trauma and Resiliency from U of T and a background in mindfulness, yoga and meditation, Deshawna draws upon ancestral knowledge and practices to help her address matters of EDIA and Truth & Reconciliation with her patients.
And it’s not an addition to care, she says. It’s foundational.
“I would love to see sustainable investment in training for staff in trauma-informed practices, Indigenous-led initiatives, and intersectional approaches that recognize the complexity of students’ identities and needs,” she says. “This work can show up in how we listen to our colleagues when they are in distress, how we choose to respond or not to respond, how flexible we are willing to be, and how we repair when systemic harm occurs.”
For Deshawna, clinical practice is deeply intertwined with identity and experience. And there’s always more to know.
“I am always excited to learn alongside students and staff about how their own intuitive and ancestral knowledge can help guide them in their healing journey,” she says.
Celebrating culture and community
Updated January 26, 2026
Featuring Marsha Serrette
Marsha Serrette is a lifelong learner, lover of good food, music and the little moments that make life beautiful. And in her role as the Administrative Co-Ordinator for the Office of the CAO in Student Life, she has created a way to celebrate it all.
Together with the three Nicoles (if you know, you know), Marsha helped to launch the Staff Engagement Committee, which was tasked with bringing Student Life staff members together. What started as a small initiative soon became a meaningful space for Student Life staff to celebrate their cultures and traditions with their peers.
“It’s been incredibly rewarding to hear from longtime U of T staff members who have said this was the first time they’d been able to share a part of themselves in this way,” says Marsha. “Through participating in cultural initiatives like Lunar New Year, Eid, Black History Month and Diwali, we foster greater understanding, connection and appreciation of the diverse backgrounds that enrich our workplace community.”
Marsha notes that for some colleagues, these moments of sharing and recognition are deeply healing – especially for those who didn’t see themselves reflected during their years at school.
“Bring your ideas to the table!” she says. “If there’s something you’d like to celebrate or raise awareness about, we’re here for it.”
Marsha was also the curator of Indigenous artwork for the 800 Bay Street workspace. The 12 pieces, thoughtfully selected from the Art Gallery of Ontario, enrich the space with cultural significance and give a sense of warmth and celebration to the workplace.
Through important initiatives like these, Marsha’s goal is to create an environment where everyone feels comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work.
“My story and the stories of my community are an essential part of what makes this country what it is today,” she says. “Recognizing and sharing these histories is not just about inclusion – it’s about truth, respect and belonging.”
Inclusion and belonging
Updated October 23, 2025
Featuring Mikhail Burke
Mikhail Burke knows how a sense of belonging can impact the work experience.
Throughout his academic and professional journey, Mikhail has faced ups and downs that he knows are relatable to others.
“I know what it’s like to feel as though you don’t belong,” he says. “But I’ve also experienced the joy and invigoration that comes from feeling empowered in your space, so I want others to get the opportunity to feel the same way.”
That’s what drives him to do his work.
As Manager of EDI Initiatives, Mikhail’s portfolio includes fostering a more inclusive experience for Student Life staff members. This includes projects like the Inclusive Hiring Practice Guide, which builds upon existing efforts to increase diverse representation at all levels of Student Life. Once complete, this guide will inform the way employees are hired in all units.
Mikhail also provides strategic support, procedural review and capacity-building for equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) within Student Life. He’s also keen to help his colleagues access resources if they need them.
“There are many strengths in the EDIA and Truth and Reconciliation culture at Student Life,” says Mikhail. “But I want staff members to know that if they experience inequitable treatment, they can reach out to me for wayfinding and support.”
Mikhail is also eager to highlight the work of the EDIA Advisory Group, which works to implement recommendations from the Staff EDIA Advisory Committee’s report. Multiple representatives from each Student Life cluster are in the group, which welcomes ideas and concerns from all staff members.
Recognizing that no work environment is without its flaws, Mikhail feels positive about the work being done and how it impacts the future of Student Life.
“My hope is that all staff members in Student Life feel as though they work in a space that fosters empathy and grace. Together, we can advocate for a workplace founded on inclusive excellence.”
