University of Guelph-Humber

Professor Nadia Ghanny jokes that her reasons for establishing a bursary at the University of Guelph-Humber may seem typical – even cliché.

“I was born in Guyana; I was five days old when I was adopted into the Ghanny family,” she says. “My adoptive family was very privileged in that country. I didn’t have chores; I didn’t even know how to make a bed until I came here.” 

If honouring the two families who made enormous sacrifices so she could get an education is cliché, then she’d be right.

When Professor Ghanny was 12 years old, her family immigrated to Canada, hoping for a brighter future for their daughter.

 “You’d be correct in calling it a sacrifice,” she says. “They came to Canada for me. So that I could go to school.”  

Her birth mother, too, was an advocate for education. She hoped her daughter would have a chance to get the education she herself was never able to receive.

To honour the passion for learning that both her biological and adoptive families share, Prof. Ghanny has established the Nadia Singh Ghanny Bursary.

“I believe in education and I love what I do. When we talk about improving our communities, understanding one another - we’re talking about education,” she says. “The students here inspire me. And this is about investing in them.”

Dr. John Walsh, Vice-Provost at UofGH says that, “Prof. Ghanny’s exceptional commitment is deeply appreciated by her students, her peers and the entire UofGH community. Her values and goals match perfectly with those of the university in supporting student success.”

The first bursary to be founded by one of UofGH’s own faculty members, the Nadia Singh Ghanny Bursary will be granted to a student enrolled in the Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc.) in Justice Studies program or the Bachelor of Applied Arts (BAA) in Justice Studies program, who can demonstrate financial need. 

If you’re interested in making a gift to the University of Guelph-Humber, you can do so online.