Meet Kevanya!

Kevanya recently accepted the role of Collective Impact for Inclusive Youth Employment (CIIYE) Intern. In her new role, Kevanya will support current research and support the development of the mentorship component of CIIYE.  

Kevanya is a recent graduate from St. Francis Xavier University with a BA in Aquatic Resources, Public Policy and Social Research with distinction. She has spent her undergraduate studies developing and conducting her research project “The Conch Crisis: Internalized, Socialized and Economized” that provides insight on the looming devastation of a fishery collapse, examining Bahamian regulations in place and proposing fisheries management recommendations to allow conch stocks to recover from decades of exploitation. Although her project has brought along great success her research is far from finish. Miss. Simmons will be attending the University of Miami in the fall of 2022 continuing her research at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science obtaining a Masters in Professional Science in the Coastal Zone Management track.  

After years of working within the Canadian workforce Kevanya was inspired to commit to social change in and outside the classroom. When first learning about the CIIYE and its emerging research project on tokenism within the labor force it aligned with her passion of microaggression and hypervisibility within the workforce. Kevanya is thrilled to have the opportunity to support meaningful employment among diverse youth from underrepresented groups in Nova Scotia. Her hope for the future is to inspire change for a future of equity and inclusion for all.”