Student spotlight: Jahiem Henry, Midwifery Education Program

Jahiem Henry is a student leader at the Midwifery Education Program (MEP) who is passionate about healthcare options for birthing parents. 

In his own words: 

Tell us about your community involvement and leadership roles. 

I am the administrative affairs representative for both the Association of Ryerson Midwifery Students (ARMS) and BIPOC Collective (external link) , where I liaise between faculty and students as a student advocate. I also provide organizational leadership so everything flows smoothly. I am also the voting student representative within the MEP committees, including the School Council and the Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee. 

Why is this work important to you? 

It is important to me to support the MEP community. As a student midwife, it can be challenging to meet the program's demands. I want to ensure my peers are supported and have the proper outlets to make the program less challenging. 

What have you learned from your leadership role(s)?

I learned that in a leadership role, both reading the room and not taking up too much space are very important. As a leader, you want to ensure that your voice and views don't dominate others and are conscious about sharing space.

Looking 15 years into the future - tell us what you would like to see improved in the world and how you would like to be part of that solution. 

I would love to see more access to midwives and birth centres. There is a severe lack of midwives in northern communities, and I would like to see that everyone has equal access to healthcare. I’d like to see more birth centres created and be a part of creating more options for birth parents.

Is there a course, professor, or TA who helped make a difference in your leadership endeavours?

The MEP has helped me develop better community leadership skills. Three courses particularly helped me: MWF108 Aboriginal Childbearing, MWF11A/B Social Justice in Midwifery, and MWF109 Critical Appraisal of Research Literature. I gained the skills to see what is missing in the curriculum. After working with other BIPOC students and our program director, Profesor Karline Mitchell, we applied for the Learner Teacher Grant to design a Black Maternal Health and Childbearing course. 

What is your advice to future community leaders and FCS students?

Be open to change and understand what is present in your society. See what your community needs and lead initiatives that help your community gain what they need to succeed. 

Is there anyone you would like to thank for helping you advance your leadership and studies?

I would like to thank our program director, professor Karline Wilson-Mitchell. She has been available for support as a mentor and taught me the fundamentals of leadership. 

How have you navigated the COVID-19 pandemic in your studies and leadership? 

COVID-19 has been challenging, but we learned to adapt to situations very quickly as student midwives. Zoom was a tool that helped engage students for events and study groups. We used virtual methods to bond and get to know each other. 

Student Leader Series

We invited students to tell us about their leadership roles. We hope their efforts and success inspire you. If you would like to submit a story idea, please contact Bonte Minnema at bminnema@torontomu.ca.