This program is a life changer—if you engage with it. The content is real-world relevant, and the instructors are living the work they teach. If you're ready to challenge yourself and grow, this is the place to be.
Saniya Ghalehdar, Graduate, UBC Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
Before enrolling in the UBC Certificate in Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), Saniya Ghalehdar had no plans to upend her life. She had what many would consider stability: a full-time, permanent job and a home she worked hard to secure. “I thought the greatest achievement of my life was that I had a mortgage and a permanent full-time job. I shouldn’t really ask for more,” she shares.
At the time, Saniya was working in a testing centre at a college in Edmonton, primarily supporting students with accessibility needs. Though she was drawn to work rooted in inclusion and equity, she felt stuck. “I knew that I loved to work with people navigating barriers around equity and accessibility. I just didn’t see a path forward in my role, or to make a bigger impact.”
That changed when a friend suggested she consider formal EDI education as a professional focus. Saniya had considered this before but wasn’t sure that going back to school would fit into her busy life. “I sat with it and then a few days later started researching programs. I talked to a lot of different schools offering EDI programs and I looked up various courses. I choose the program through UBC because of its industry-leading instructors, Canadian focus, and flexible online delivery.”
Saniya enrolled “just to try a course,” but quickly found herself immersed. “From the first module, I felt like I found my people. They were speaking the language I had always hoped to speak. There is real world relevancy in this program, it is so applicable. The instructors don’t just teach—they live this work. It’s the perfect mix of flexibility, rigor, and support.”
Midway through the program, Saniya applied for a role within her organization for the Inclusive Leadership team. “I didn’t think I had a chance. I found out later, one of the reasons they brought me in for an interview was because I was in the UBC EDI program and they were excited about it. That certificate opened the first door, and now I’ve been with the team for over two years.”
In the two years since, those doors haven’t stopped opening. Saniya began facilitating workshops, something she never imagined doing before. She was appointed to the City of Edmonton’s Women’s Advisory Committee, a seat she had applied for unsuccessfully five years in a row. “This time, I got chosen and I believe that having my EDI certificate helped me open that door.” She’s also spoken at national and international conferences, including one in Seville, Spain, and hosts diversity, women’s advocacy and human rights workshops for community groups, organizations and newcomers. Saniya also founded a storytelling collective called She Said with a group of women to champion gender equity causes and to highlight issues impacting women and girls. She credits her learnings from the EDI program that provided her a foundation to build off of.
Saniya credits the UBC EDI program with giving her the knowledge, the critical thinking skills and the opportunity to learn from people who are doing this work. “It changed how I think and how I engage with the world. You get a chance to work with someone who is doing this work in their field and these are opportunities, that was a really cool part of it.” For Saniya, the program unlocked something fundamental in her, “I gained the confidence to speak up and show up as someone who belongs in this work. I still use my notes, I still pull articles from the course and you’re ready, because then you have a toolkit. And I still say this program was the turning point.”
For prospective students, she offers this advice, “If you’re ready to grow, ready to learn, and ready to build a better future—start here. The UBC EDI certificate won’t just teach you; it will change you.”