University of Alberta Emily Kimani

U n i v e r s i t y o f Alberta

Emily Kimani

Emily Kimani

For her graduation, a girl of colour mentions her hair as her identity and tells a story about the sense of empowerment she derives from it. She is Emily Kimani, a fifth-year science faculty student at the University of Alberta, and the first black Vice President of

Operations and Finance at the Students Union body.

Kimani’s voice steadily characterized purposefulness in an engaging 30-minute podcast with Tee Adeyemo, from her ancestral Afro strands to the significance of diversity and inclusion for people of colour. Even more intriguing is how she took action by embracing a rare leadership opportunity outside of her field of study - immunology and infection! The position which required things like budget management was certainly a far cry, but Kimani, despite initially feeling inadequate, exemplified black excellence by learning the ropes.

Another ironic twist to Kimani’s emergence is that she was not heavily involved in the university community until her third year when she began volunteering for the Student Union at key events and activities. Her primary goal had been to get good grades, but after meeting the then-Vice President of Operations and Finance, and forming a friendship, Kimani leaned into a deeper meaning for social good. She first became a Science Counsellor and was mentored into a historic role at the University of Alberta.

A daily experience

It is a tall order to juggle both study and politics. So, Kimani relied on her everyday lived experience, which she regards as valid and forceful enough to channel students’ expectations, from her presence as a smart black woman in the halls of the union’s leadership to amplifying voices alike towards change, as she knew not everyone will have the opportunity to sit across such decision and policy-enforcing tables.

Kimani also humanized her hair philosophy and owns a beautiful story of often refusing to braid her hair even in Junior High school, just not to wear off her identity. This is a powerful attestation to self-awareness. Kimani has found herself through her daily lived experiences. Her identity remains secure and has been critical to her success in school politics.

Making the needed difference for the black students’ community

Emily Kimani is poised to finish off her term with a positive note, on the strength of her running mandate. She had contested with that drive to bridge the representational gap for people of colour and as a poster child for such noble themes as diversity and inclusivity. She believes they will be the legacy of her tenure: • “We celebrated and recognized

Black History month for the first time. The university commemorated it last year but the Student

Union Body never did. So we hosted the speaker and spotlight series, and also instituted a new award – the Violet King Award - for black students leadership and community involvement…”

The Violet King Award was established in honour of one of the Student Union’s first black executives. Violet King is a University of Alberta alumna who, like Kimani, embodies positive inspiration on campus, particularly for women of colour who will hold positions of leadership in the future. New elections have been held, and Emily Kimani will be handing over her position to another woman of colour, a trend she hopes to see continue across the spectrum of executive opportunities because it makes her proud. “It’s a great feeling to know that I contributed to inspiring another black woman to run… to take a leap of faith.”

Kimani has also seen how advocacy and protests by the student council, of which she is a member, can be used to gain the university’s support in bringing about safety on campus. Tuition increases, COVID-19, and sexual violence have all been widely discussed. Delay in and halting of tuition hike has been some effects of activism she is part of.

Transparency

A solid quality for governance anywhere in the world is being transparent, and Kimani claims to have thrived in that area. She was at the helm of a 10 million dollar budget, which had been drafted by the team of the previous year, so she says her team tried to be responsible with that in delivering quality work and that there were checks and balances.

Emily Kimani’s narrative continues to form around the core elements of diversity and inclusivity that drove her campaign. Everyone got involved.

Being a student in 2022 and the Ideal University

Being a responsible student was an important part of Emily Kimani’s identity since it represents black excellence. Despite this, she is concerned that many students’ campus experiences will be negative due to a lack of community support, as well as having a large amount of debt to deal with after graduation due to the university being unaffordable. She recognizes

Kimani has also seen how advocacy and protests by the student council, can be used to gain the university’s support in bringing about safety on campus.

Emily Kimani

the right of women, in particular, to equal access to opportunities and the right to feel safe on campus.

Politics After School

Emily Kimani ran for president of the Student Union but despite her loss, she believes she has learned so much by “putting her name out there”. She will be taking a break now to focus on her school as she is in her final year.

The Next Generation

Kimani says, “I will encourage everyone to go to university because it opens doors and opportunities”.

She reinforces this with a revelation that her parents moved to Canada, knowing the opportunities they would get, the ones they did not have growing up. She further says: “University is a challenge, and in those challenges, you grow as an individual and become the person you are meant to be.” Kimani is open to future options in her life.