Kiara Gibbs-Cawker Selected for Prestigious National Pathy Foundation Fellowship
Congratulations to Kiara Gibbs-Cawker on her selection for the 2026–27 Pathy Foundation Fellowship, one of Canada’s top leadership fellowships for graduating students.
Each year, fewer than 12 students from Canadian universities are chosen for the Pathy Fellowship. This program helps new leaders create community projects that tackle important social issues. Fellows receive mentorship, professional development, and funding to spend a year developing their ideas.
Kiara’s project, “She Leads: Elevating Black Women’s Voice,” will create a leadership and mentorship program for young Black women in Toronto. The program will offer workshops focused on identity, professional development, and community-building to help participants grow as leaders and build strong support networks.
Kiara, a Bachelor of Global and International Studies (BGInS) and Certificate in the Teaching of English as a Second Language (CTESL) graduate, was inspired to start this project after experiencing limited mentorship and underrepresentation in spaces not designed for Black women. She wants to create welcoming, community-focused places where young Black women can gain confidence, develop leadership skills, and feel they belong.
“Through my studies in Global and International Development and Anthropology, I developed a deeper understanding of systemic barriers and their real-world impacts. At the same time, my leadership roles in EDI programming enabled me to create spaces that fostered belonging, dialogue, and empowerment. This fellowship is an opportunity to bring together my academic learning, lived experience, and community work to create something meaningful and sustainable.”
Kiara Gibbs-Cawker (BGInS/26; CTESL/26)
This spring, Kiara also received the inaugural Faculty of Public and Global Affairs Student Excellence Award for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reconciliation (EDIR) in recognition of her sustained impact through volunteer and paid roles supporting Black and racialized students.
Kiara’s selection for the Pathy Fellowship and the Student Excellence Award for Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Reconciliation shows her commitment to leadership, community involvement, and making a difference. We look forward to seeing the impact of her project.