Rhanda Bonet-Graham, Student

Growing up in the Middle East and North Africa has given Rhanda (she/her) a perspective of both the challenges and possibilities facing the world. A passion for an equitable, knowledgeable, and beautiful world, and the example of her mother, drive Rhanda to pursue further education in philanthropy and leadership. She believes in the power of philanthropy, which she views as both a profession and a calling.

Rhanda advocates and raises funds for women’s health and health research for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation in Edmonton, Alberta. As a native Arabic speaker, Rhanda has focused her volunteer work in the past few years on supporting recently resettled refugees from the Middle East, mostly by providing them with linguistic and navigational support as they acclimate to life in Canada. Rhanda has also used her classical Western music education to organize benefit concerts to raise money for breast-cancer research in honour of her mother, who lost her battle with breast cancer at a young age.

Rhanda dedicates the MPNL degree to her mother, a Literature professor, who instilled in her the value of higher education, the joy of doing what you love, and the importance of working hard to achieve your goals.