Jeffrey Osaro from Northview Heights Secondary School and Naomi Musa from Central Toronto Academy were introduced as the newly elected student trustees for the 2022-23 school year at the TDSB’s Board meeting on Wednesday, June 29.
Jeffrey and Naomi were recently elected as Student Trustees by their peers via an online election on April 28. Jeffrey and Naomi will join Isaiah Shafqat, Indigenous Student Trustee, who attends Kapapamahchakwew - Wandering Spirit School. This will be Isaiah’s third term as an Indigenous Student Trustee, a role that is appointed by the Elders Council.
Congratulations and welcome to our new student trustees!
Jeffrey Osaro
Jeffrey Osaro is a grade eleven student currently attending Northview Heights Secondary School. As a student leader, Jeffrey has been on the forefront actively representing and advocating for changes, activities and initiatives both in his school and his community. He is the student council president, founder of his school’s Black Student Alliance, and one of the leaders of the president's council. Outside of school, Jeffrey often helps teach young students in his neighborhood how to play hockey through a program called Hockey Heros. He likes to play basketball with his friends and loves going to Canada’s Wonderland. Jeffrey’s passion is to represent each and every student in the TDSB and is looking forward to hearing and elevating their voices as a Student Trustee.
Naomi Musa
Naomi Musa is a grade eleven student currently attending Central Toronto Academy. She spent the first eight years of her life in Asmara, Eritrea, then lived in Uganda and Kenya for three years before moving to Canada at the age of eleven. As a student activist, Naomi is a passionate advocate for inclusivity while championing diversity. Through her involvement in her school’s Black Student Alliance, Student Council and Artivism Inclusivity Movement, she has worked collaboratively with teams of trailblazing student leaders to make an impact at her school. In her free time, Naomi enjoys co-hosting a personal journal podcast with her best friend, binging reality TV shows and catching up on sleep. Naomi is beaming with excitement to serve her term as one of the next TDSB Student Trustees for the 2022/2023 school year and represent over 240,000 students in the board.
Isaiah Shafqat
Isaiah Shafqat (He/They) is Two-Spirit Mi’kmaq and Loon clan. Isaiah is a secondary student at Kâpapâmahchakwêw - Wandering Spirit School. Currently in Grade 11, they raise awareness about issues that affect Indigenous people in and outside of school, focusing on Indigenous history, inequality within the justice system, land rights, cultural appropriation, MMIWG2S, residential schools, 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous intersectionality, and Indigenous identity. During their free time, Isaiah likes to attend pow wows and support Indigenous artists. During the 2019-2020 school year, Isaiah was an active member of the TDSB Student Senate as LC4 Co-chair, where they advocated for student voice. Isaiah also enjoys learning Ojibwe and Mi’kmaq. As Indigenous Student Trustee, Isaiah aims to raise awareness about the intersectionalities between Indigenous and Queer communities. Support for Indigenous students, and Indigenous identity. He also plans to advocate for creating more Indigenous affirming spaces across the board and centring Indigenous history, voices, and realities into the curriculum. (TRC Calls to Action 62 & 63) As they believe it’s an important part of Canada's history and an important step towards Truth and Reconciliation.