Candidate Profiles
Below are the bios of all of the candidates standing for the GSS Executive elections.
DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC Relations
Danica Reid
Hello everyone! My name is Danica Reid and I am a PhD student in Linguistics and your current Director of Academic Relations for the GSS. I have been actively involved in the GSS since the start of my PhD in 2022. For two years, I served as the GSS councillor for Linguistics and since the start of 2025, I have been the Director of Academic Relations. In this Director role, I act as the liaison between the GSS and different groups within the university to advocate on issues that affect the academic work of graduate students. Some specific examples of this include providing feedback on the proposed changes to SFU’s Intellectual Property policy and Artificial Intelligence guidelines, consulting with the university about housing across campuses, pushing for minimum funding policies at the Master’s level, and working with the recently restarted Advocacy Committee to establish what initiatives to prioritize going forward.
If re-elected as the Director Academic Relations, I will carry forward the momentum that has been built up over the past year. I will continue to work toward establishing better funding opportunities and greater access to affordable housing both on and near the three SFU campuses while working with the university administration on policies and initiatives that directly impact graduate students. I hope you will allow me to continue serving in this role for the year to come.
Victor Nicols
From serving as President of our undergraduate student body to now representing our cohort as MBA Cohort Representative, I’ve consistently brought energy, purpose and connection to every community I’ve served. In my undergrad role, I helped channel student voices into constructive change, collaborating with faculty, staff and peers to enhance our learning environment and strengthen our collective identity. Today, as Cohort Representative, I am immersed in the dynamics of our full-time MBA program—listening to classmates, building bridges, and fostering engagement across backgrounds, goals and experiences.
These experiences have sharpened my understanding of what matters most: clear communication, meaningful advocacy, and a genuine desire to empower every voice. If entrusted as Director of Academic Relations, I’ll bring this same spirit—aligning academic priorities with student insight, advocating for the learning experience we envision, and ensuring our voice is heard in key decisions. My journey isn’t about titles—it’s about connecting, energizing and elevating our community. Let’s build the experience we each came here for, together.
Samuel Basoah
Hi everyone! I’m Samuel Basoah, a PhD candidate in Economics at SFU. For the past six years, I’ve taught and supported students across Economics, Criminology, Ecology, and Natural Resources, earning both the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences Best TA Award and the Economics Department Best TA Award.
My passion for inclusive and student-centered education has guided every role I’ve held whether serving on the SFU Senate, mentoring new Teaching Assistants, or volunteering in the Academic First tutoring program and Study Night sessions. These experiences have strengthened my ability to collaborate, advocate, and build programs that help students thrive.
I’m running for Director of Academic Relations to champion stronger academic support systems. Tutorials and office hours alone aren’t sufficient. SFU students deserve expanded tutoring and mentoring services accessible to everyone, not only athletes. I will also advocate for clear guidance on using AI responsibly, ensuring students can benefit from innovation while being protected from unfair academic-integrity penalties.
Finally, I will continue to push for broader Grad COLA funding that includes both master’s and PhD students, because financial stability is vital to academic success.
With my Senate experience and six years of teaching and mentorship, I understand how SFU policy works and how to make student voices heard. I’m committed to advocating for fairness, inclusion, and meaningful support for all graduate students.
Vote for experience. Vote for inclusion. Vote for Samuel Basoah for Director of Academic Relations.
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Swajit Patwari
Hi everyone, I’m Swajit Patwari, an MBA student at Beedie and a candidate for Director of Finance.
Before joining SFU, I’ve spent over 7 years managing revenue and operations in the technology and SaaS sectors – managing budgets, building systems, and leading teams to deliver impact. I’ve learned that numbers aren’t just about accounting – they’re about enabling people and ideas.
That’s exactly what I want to bring to the GSS. As Director of Finance, my focus will be simple: to make our student funds work harder for students.
I want to ensure that our budget supports more student-led initiatives, professional development, wellness programs, and community events that make grad life better – from useful skill workshops to the kind of socials we actually look forward to.
Transparency is at the heart of my plan. I’ll work to make GSS finances clear, accessible, and easy to understand, so everyone knows where their money goes and how it comes back to benefit them.
Most importantly, I’ll stay approachable and available – whether you have feedback, a question, or an idea worth funding. You can always reach out, and I’ll make sure you’re heard. Let’s make our finances more than spreadsheets – let’s make them a reflection of our priorities, our community, and our student voice.
Vote for Swajit Patwari – for clarity, creativity, and connection.
Ida Niksirat
Sourabh Adiga
My name is Sourabh Adiga, and I am an MBA candidate at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University. I am running for Director of Finance because I believe strong financial stewardship is essential to sustain services, protect student initiatives, and create long-term impact for all members of the graduate community. I bring over four and a half years of experience in the Banking and FinTech sector at Deutsche Bank and Revolut, where I worked on financial operations, governance, compliance, and risk assessment. Those roles demanded audit-ready reporting, accurate reconciliations, control testing, and communication with senior stakeholders – skills that align with the Director of Finance position.
I am familiar with the Director of Finance’s core responsibilities, including annual budgeting, monthly budget-versus-actual reporting, audit oversight, and financial policy development. I will use this framework to prioritize transparency, accountability, collaboration, and long-term financial planning for the Society.
If elected, I will take a data-driven approach to budgeting, provide clear and timely financial reports for Council, oversee audit readiness, and explore sustainable revenue initiatives that strengthen the Society’s ability to serve its members. I also aim to make financial information accessible and engage with students to ensure their priorities are reflected in decisions.
As an international student from India, I bring a global and inclusive perspective to financial decision-making. I am committed to bringing diligence, integrity, and structure to this role from day one.
Thank you for considering my candidacy.
DIRECTOR OF ACCESS & EQUITY
Rahul Sonewane
Hello Everyone, I am Rahul Sonewane, your bridge-builder running for Director of Access & Equity. I’ve carried the weight of belonging across continents, courtrooms, and code. Now, I am here to make SFU feel like home for every graduate. I know the quiet ache of systems that overlook you. That’s why I’m running: to turn lived stories into lived policy.
I will champion sustainable funding, co-designed mental wellness, and digital-first transparency that say “Your voice shapes this place.” I will weave safe circles for Indigenous scholars, international dreamers, and every equity-seeking soul. I will partner with campus groups not as a guest, but as a co-creator, dismantling barriers with empathy as fierce as strategy.
My edge? A heart for storytelling, an eye for solutions, a fire for justice. I don’t just represent diversity, I activate it. No one should fight alone. I will listen deeply, amplify the quiet, and build a graduate community where belonging isn’t earned, it’s given.
Vote Rahul Sonewane.
Let’s make SFU a place where every graduate doesn’t just survive, they thrive.
Harmony Odedele
What would Simon Fraser University look like if every student truly felt seen, heard, and valued?
My name is Harmony Odedele, and I’m a first-year Master of International Studies student at Simon Fraser University. I’m running for Director of Access and Equity because I care deeply about creating spaces where every student feels seen, valued, and supported – not just represented on paper, but truly included in practice.
Before coming to SFU, I completed my undergraduate degree in Criminology at the University of Ottawa, where I served as Vice President of Media for the Nigerian Students’ Association. That role taught me what it means to lead with purpose, to collaborate, communicate, and use creativity to bring people together. Working on campaigns and events that celebrated culture and connection gave me firsthand experience in building community, amplifying voices, and promoting inclusion through action.
As a person of colour and a newcomer to SFU, I understand what it feels like to navigate spaces where diversity is not always reflected. But this is also an opportunity to strengthen our sense of belonging, to listen to one another, and to challenge ourselves to do better. This position is not only a platform to advocate for others, but also an opportunity for me to grow as a leader, apply my global perspective, communication skills, and commitment to equity in meaningful ways. I want to help make SFU a place where access and inclusion are lived experiences for every student.
Steff Huì Cí Ling
Hello! I’m Steff — I’m a second year PhD student in Sociology and I am running to be re-elected as Director of Equity and Access (DEA). Off-campus, I am a labour organizer with the Asian Canadian Labour Alliance, a grassroots group that supports Asian identified, unionized and non- unionized workers or newcomers and have participated in various anti-displacement initiatives in Chinatown over the years. As students, sometimes university life can make us feel a little disconnected from the broader context of social, economic and cultural forces that are not explicitly related to our research or training.
Over the last year, my priority has been food insecurity and student-worker-migrant solidarity, because if we can’t access healthy food, we can’t think! Thinking through food systems also invites questions about migration and labour regimes — what systems are in place that make healthy food inaccessible, how does that system impact the most marginalized graduate students culturally, financially and academically? These are the sorts of questions I started with in my last term. In my time as DAE, the advocacy directors and I established a monthly free local produce program, developed an international student worker and tenant survey, and
supported students to lead a petition to protest significant delays in the Provincial Nominee Program. If re-elected, I will focus on building the capacity of the Advocacy Committee so that the work underway can develop in greater scope and depth!
Between campus life and community organizing, I have a lot more experiences and ideas to share about what I think student solidarity looks like. I’d be grateful for your vote so I can look forward to sharing more and hearing yours!
Star Bunzigiye
My name is Star Bunzigiye, and I am a first-year graduate student in the Master of Publishing (MPub) program at Simon Fraser University. I am writing to express my strong interest in the position of Director of Access & Equity for the Graduate Student Society (GSS). My background as a writer, community organizer, and researcher has centered on issues of accessibility, representation, and equity in both academic and creative spaces, and I am deeply committed to advancing these principles within SFU’s graduate community.
Equity work, for me, means creating sustainable systems of care and accountability. If elected, I intend to collaborate closely with the Office of Student Support, Rights and Responsibilities and the Centre for Accessible Learning to identify and address systemic gaps that affect graduate students, particularly those facing barriers related to disability, race, gender identity, and class. I am also interested in implementing peer-led workshops on anti-oppression, inclusive policy development, and mental health advocacy, initiatives that bridge community well-being with institutional responsibility.
My approach combines empathy with structure. I believe in listening deeply to the concerns of others, while also transforming those insights into actionable policy and transparent communication. My lived experience as a Black and neurodivergent student informs my understanding of how institutional inequities operate. And why it is critical to lead with care, collaboration, and courage.
Thank you for considering my application.
Ana Contreras
My name is Ana Contreras, a master’s candidate at the School of Communications. My research focuses on the delegitimisation of women’s anger and how to reclaim it for mobilisation and empowerment. With an undergraduate degree in Political Science, I understand that access, at its core, is a process of political communication, in which we need to actively value, listen, and incorporate the voices of others. I am interested in this position not because I consider myself to be expert in access and equity, but because I am committed to listening, learning, and working with others to better understand and address the barriers graduate students face. As someone from a ‘non-dominant’ group, I have come across many institutions and normative values that demand that you make yourself small and remain quiet to not disturb the dominant order. I have encountered how institutions place individual shame upon those who do not fit into the dominant paradigms, framing us as the problem rather than trying to understand how these paradigms perpetuate systems of inclusion and exclusion that favour some and marginalise others. Too often, institutions mistakenly believe that acknowledging differences is the endpoint of equity when it is only the first step. Too often, institutions use words such as ‘access’ and ‘equity’ as empty signifiers without redistributing power. I am interested in this position to ensure that these words are not used symbolically as inequality persists, but to demand accountability and to identify ways to prevent graduate students from feeling excluded.
DIRECTOR OF Student LIFE
Akshay Yadav
I’m excited about the opportunity to contribute as Director of Student Life because I genuinely care about building strong, supportive communities where graduate students feel seen and heard. Over the past seven years, I’ve worked in diverse roles—from investment and portfolio management to startup acceleration—and these experiences have taught me how meaningful connections and collaboration can truly transform communities.
During my previous master’s back in India, I managed large-scale events that brought together teams across finance, marketing, HR, and operations, giving me hands-on experience in creating engagement and a sense of belonging. As the incoming President of SFU’s JEDI Student Council, I look forward to leading initiatives focused on justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion under the JEDI Student Council as well. I believe this new role will further deepen my commitment to fostering inclusive and supportive spaces for all students.
Professionally, my work has honed skills in listening, adapting, and bringing people together toward common goals. Whether coordinating volunteers, managing communications, or advocating for social impact, I’ve seen how collective efforts can create something greater than the sum of its parts. As Director of Student Life, I want to use this experience and passion to enhance the graduate student community—making it more vibrant, inclusive, and supportive.
I’m eager to bring my energy, ideas, and dedication to this role to positively impact our graduate community.
Ravi Soni
Hey Everyone! My name is Ravi and I am running again to be Re-Elected as your GSS Director of Student Life for the 2026 Academic Year!
Over this past year, I’ve had the privilege of building momentum across all three campuses, hosting inclusive events, expanding our services, and strengthening community.
Some key accomplishments from this term include:
🎉 A successful Graduate Orientation welcoming new students with food, resources, and community.
☕ Relaunching our Coffee & Tea Service after 5 years, now a weekly staple.
📰 A refreshed Graduate Student Newsletter that I design and distribute weekly. 🍻 Hosting monthly BierCraft Socials with free food and drinks for students.
🧑🤝🧑 Collaborating with Embark, SVSPO, FGS, the Black Students Association and more.
In my next term, I am excited to:
🌆 Focus on large-scale event building at the Surrey and Vancouver Campuses.
☕ Expand Coffee & Tea Service and BierCraft Nights.
🤝 Collaborate with organizations across campus to bring more engaging programming.
👕 Reintroducing graduate student merchandise to celebrate our community.
🗳️ Bring grad students together at the AGM to shape our future!
Thank you for your support this past year! I look forward to continuing to support the Engagement Committee, the GSS staff and directors, and hope to see you at our future events so keep an eye out on our newsletter!
Daphne Nnebeife
The graduate school experience can be isolating, particularly when considering graduate studies, employment, and other time commitments. I am running for Director of Student Life because I believe that graduate school should be a welcoming and inclusive environment, where all graduate students feel a sense of belonging.
My primary aim is to ensure that campus activities are more accessible and representative of the graduate community at SFU in terms of our diversity. Many of us graduate students have different backgrounds, schedules, and commitments, and our activities should cater to these needs. This is why I would offer flexible, hybrid and inclusive programming when hosting events which would allow everyone to attend, from cultural nights to wellness activities. I have also been made aware that there is a lack of accessibility for deliveries at Vancouver campus residences, which becomes an everyday concern for many graduate students living in residence. I hope to work with SFU Housing/Facilities to develop better delivery mechanisms on campus.
Graduate school life should not only be relevant to our studies, but it should also be about being part of something larger than ourselves. If you choose to vote for me, I promise to fight for an environment that allows us to network, unwind, and flourish – so that graduate students feel they can call SFU home.
Vote Daphne Nnebeife for Director of Student Life – “Making Grad Life Feel Like Home.”
Graham Hamilton
Hello SFU Graduate Students!
My name is Graham Hamilton, and I’m a candidate for Director of Student Life from the Master of Digital Media (MDM) program.
My platform is built on one simple, crucial goal: Fostering a Truly Unified SFU Community.
As an MDM student based at the Great Northern Way campus, my cohort often feels forgotten by the broader SFU community, and I know we aren’t alone. Whether you’re in Surrey, Burnaby, or downtown Vancouver, graduate life can be isolating, making it hard to feel like we are all part of one strong, collaborative student body.
This separation isn’t just a feeling, it’s a missed opportunity for networking, interdisciplinary research, and a supportive social environment.
As your Director of Student Life, I won’t just host more events; I will strategically create events that bridge these physical and departmental gaps. My focus will be on:
Cross-Campus Programming: Developing social mixers, academic showcases, and cultural events that rotate between all three campuses or are held in central, accessible locations.
Strengthening Digital & Hybrid Access: Using my background in digital media to ensure that events are promoted effectively to all students and that high-quality hybrid options are available, so participation isn’t dictated by your campus.
Fostering Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Launching initiatives specifically designed to help students from different faculties meet, share ideas, and build connections.
We are stronger together. I will work tirelessly to ensure that every graduate student, on every campus, feels seen, connected, and valued.
Kevin Gonzalez
I am Kevin A. Gonzalez Castro, student in the Big Data MPCS program. As prospect Director of Student Life, my vision is to build a diverse and supportive social fabric, creating networks that allow us all to thrive and grow holistically.
To achieve this, my mission is to foster a strong sense of belonging through concrete actions. I will focus on three key areas:
- Professional Connection: Building networking opportunities with graduate alumni whose experiences can inspire and prepare us for our careers.
- Inclusive Community: Organizing a wide range of social events that unite us—from sports and cultural festivities to recognizing key advocacy dates like International
Women’s Day. - Clear Communication: Strengthening our virtual GSS community to ensure our communication is more frequent, accessible, and effective.
I understand the unique challenges of our graduate community. My prior experience managing logistics for sports teams and social events has given me the practical skills to bring these projects to life.
I am ready to work for this community, ensuring we all look back on our time at SFU and smile at the connections we made. I ask for your support to make this a reality.
DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL RELATIONS
Kody Sider
My name is Kody Sider and I am currently a graduate student in the School of Public Policy program and I am also currently serving as interim Director of External Relations (DER). I am deeply engaged with issues of democratic representation. My graduate research on how to incorporate participatory/deliberative democracy into decision making processes. As interim DER, I’m working with MLAs and MPs for all SFU campuses to advocate on behalf of the BC-PNP campaign. The needs of international students is an issue I believe is extremely important. During the summer, I was part of a team that participated in the Geneva Challenge 2025, which focused on the needs of migrants in Canada, which won us a place in the semi-finals.
I plan to continue advocating for improved student housing outcomes by ensuring that the diverse experiences of students are meaningfully captured and reflected in the Student Housing Master Plan – Strategic Revision consultation process. As someone who is currently in graduate student housing, I can give a direct voice to concerns and fight to try to get the best outcome for students we can negotiate.
This role is an opportunity to strengthen the GSS’s external partnerships, advance student priorities, and build constructive relationships. I plan to work with other societies on campus to increase democratic decisionmaking and make the campus work better for students. I would be honored to continue contributing my skills and enthusiasm to this position and to be collaboratively with whoever I work with.