Two Dawson students receive Lieutenant Governor of Quebec鈥檚 Youth Medal
Psychology student Ninna Giles and Enriched Health Science student Ahmad Mousattat received the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec鈥檚 Youth Medal at a ceremony in Laval on April 26. The Honourable Manon Jeannotte presented the award in recognition of their sustained volunteer involvement and positive influence on their communities.
Both Ninna and Ahmad shared their thoughts and experiences with the Communications Office in separate interviews.
Ninna expressed her gratitude for the honour, saying: “It gives me a type of reassurance I can hardly describe, pushing me forward to continue working towards increasing the accessibility of mental health services. …Dawson has given me the confidence to pursue these types of goals. The faculty has been a major driving force. They are incredible mentors who are always willing to help in any way they can.”
She also reflected on her efforts to bring the Telus GuardMe Ambassador program to Dawson: “Being able to help bring the Telus GuardMe Ambassador program to Dawson has been incredibly rewarding. It means so much knowing students after me will be given an opportunity to participate in education and advocacy efforts for mental health during their time at Dawson. I look forward to seeing how it develops.”
Ahmad described how the recognition motivates him to continue his work: “I feel honoured to see teachers, staff, and students believe in me. … Dawson offered me an excellent platform to develop my skills and qualities and to hone my vision.”
He shared his experience founding and expanding the Quebec Collegial Team of Islamic Relief: “I am the founder and leader of the Quebec Collegial Team of Islamic Relief, one of the largest international humanitarian organizations worldwide. While I founded the team at Dawson, I was able to expand operations to McGill, Concordia, Universit茅 de Montr茅al, Vanier, and John Abbott College in less than a year. Today, our collegial team stands as one of the largest humanitarian initiatives in the province through campaign size, with hundreds of thousands raised so far.”
Both students recounted moments when they realized the impact they were making:
Ninna recalled: “During my time as a counsellor for neurodivergent and special needs individuals, I was granted several opportunities to connect with my clients. One young client stopped me on their last day with me and hugged me so tightly, thanking me for being there for her with tears in her eyes. Her mother later explained to me how her daughter would talk about me every night during dinner, speaking about the lessons we would go through together during the day. They both were so incredibly warm, thanking me for things I hadn’t known made that much of a difference. I will never forget that kindness.”
Ahmad shared a story from a fundraising trip: “In December 2023, I travelled to Toronto to fundraise and gather orphan sponsorships at an international conference. I remember asking a girl to donate, but she told me that she was a student and didn鈥檛 have the finances. I joked with her and told her that if she became rich by tomorrow, she could pass by my booth to sponsor an orphan – and she did. She came back with her mother, who ended up donating $1,500 and sponsoring two orphans. I remember having tears in my eyes at that moment. That day really marked my development as a leader, and I felt that my efforts, as simple and humble as they were at the time, were really saving lives.”
As their time at Dawson draws to a close, both students reflected on their experiences at the college.
Ninna said: “The psychology program at Dawson has exceeded my expectations and has helped solidify my idea of what I want to do. The people within this program are some of the kindest and most compassionate people I’ve ever met. Overall, Dawson has granted me a type of acceptance and inclusivity I never thought I’d experience.”
Ahmad added: “I study in Enriched Health Science, a program that I set my eyes on ever since I arrived in Canada. I enjoyed the deep insights it gave me into the scientific domain and the potential paths I might take in the future to reach my objectives. I felt that, counterintuitively, the heavy workload pushed me even more to successfully lead my humanitarian initiatives. Dawson鈥檚 position as the capital of CEGEPs in Quebec allowed me to expand my work in an unprecedented way, since it connected me to professionals and students from universities and institutions all over the country.”
Looking ahead, Ninna plans to study at the University of British Columbia and hopes to work in mental health, while Ahmad intends to pursue medicine and continue his humanitarian work.
Both expressed gratitude for the support they received from Dawson鈥檚 teachers and staff. Ninna highlighted “incredible mentors Yanina Chukhovich, Rhea Gurnagul, and Marie-Pierre Gosselin.” Ahmad thanked “Rashmini Segarajasinghe-Ernest, Max Jones, and the rest of the Dawson team for their unrelenting encouragement.”
