In 2002, Shereen Ashman’s life took a violent turn when she was shot in the Scarborough community. During her recovery from a serious leg injury, she began looking for answers and creating opportunities to mitigate the violence that was plaguing her neighbourhood.
It was that search that led her to Centennial College’s Social Service Worker program. This experience would be the catalyst for her career path as a community champion and agent of social change.
After graduating from Centennial in 2004, Ashman went on to study political science at York University and became a vocal advocate for socio-economic equality for Black youth. She co-founded CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals, which has since grown into a multimillion-dollar charity with national reach.
Today, Ashman is Chief Operating Officer at Small World Music, a Toronto-based charity with a mission to build equity in the music industry, incubating and showcasing diverse cultural art/artists on local and global stages.
In the fall of 2022, Ashman was recognized for her outstanding contributions to the field of community services when she was named a 2022 Premier’s Award winner. She was one of seven recipients selected from nominees of Ontario’s 24 public colleges.
We sat down with this remarkable member of Centennial’s alumni community. Learn more about her time at Centennial, the impact of her work in the community and what it means to her to be a 2022 Premier’s Award winner.
How did Centennial College inspire and shape your path?
I started at Centennial just months after I was shot, basically the minute the cast was off my leg. I like to tell people it was my first entry into therapy. I didn’t go to traditional therapy until many years later, but what I found at Centennial was a community; and in Black–Indigenous traditions, you heal within the community.
My educators at Centennial, these women are giants to me. In Yoruba cultural customs, you bow to honour. I bow to the women educators who invested extra time to give guidance and help me navigate a new path forward. It was because of them that I decided to go on to study political science at York University after graduating from Centennial.
To me, my experiences beg the question: What can education be? It’s a lot more than just training the brain and teaching someone how to get into the workforce. It can also be a space of healing.
What led you to establish CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals?
I co-founded CEE with Dr. Kofi Hope, who also had experiences of gun violence and advocated for community-led solutions from Black youth.
I first began exploring solutions in response to the “Summer of the Gun” in 2005, when gun violence in Toronto was escalating. At that time, we were seeing the faces of young Black men all over the news, and the narrative shaped them as the problem. We saw Black youth as a key source of the solution. To that end, it was critical to champion solutions from within the community. Nobody understands the problem more than those who are on the ground and living it.
We engaged Black youth in conversations, collaboration and community building. We asked them about their needs and hopes. We undertook initiatives to build spaces for the community to learn and grow that incorporated healing, Black–Indigenous knowledge and training. Today, CEE offers a range of programs focused on youth workforce development, education and advocacy for Black youth over the age of 14.
What long-term impact do you hope to create through your work in community development?
Two things come to mind: generational impact and inspirational impact. I hope people who engage with a program, institution and/or myself will leave with something of value to share with their family, friends and wider community. Second, I hope my body of work inspires someone to start something, say something, be something. In the grand scheme of things, I hope people feel seen, heard, valued and have more access and resources to develop into productive and healed community members.
What unique role do you believe women have to play in identifying solutions to challenges in our communities?
In community development, the women that I have had the opportunity to work alongside have made an impact in innovative, healing, restorative and disruptive roles. They are the collective spark that champions something new and better. I can’t even fathom community work or supporting youth without women. When we examine the ecosystem, I am proud to see women in all spaces from grassroots to national community development organizations. Community care is a key principle of Black–Indigenous knowledge. Women are the village guardians operating at all levels of impact.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is #EmbraceEquity. What does equity mean to you?
Equity is a responsibility, an action and an emotion. Those three things have to work together for us to say something is equitable. Equity is bringing my full self into a space. It means that I'm not just tolerated, but welcomed, and culturally accepted. Equity means I don’t have to code switch. I don’t have to dress in a particular way. I can bring my full dynamic culture, and that can be integrated, accepted and embedded in the same way as any other culture.
You won a 2022 Premier’s Award for your work in the field of community services. What’s the significance of this award for you?
I’m still shocked! It was an honour to be nominated by Centennial because I have such a deep emotional connection to what it has brought into my life. It’s not just a win for me, but it’s a win for the entire Centennial community. I do this work as part of my healing and for my community to thrive. So, to be recognized for work that came from such a genuine place in my heart, it was a good feeling.
As part of this award, you had an opportunity to create a special scholarship for a Centennial student. Can you tell us about the scholarship and the impact you hope it’ll create?
The scholarship will be available to a student of Centennial’s Social Service Worker program who is experiencing financial barriers, with preference given to students who are sole parents like I was.
It’s amazing to have a scholarship in my name dedicated to community care/development professionals. I don’t know who the recipients will be yet, but I’m already rooting for them. This scholarship is an accolade and an investment on their journey. That, for me, is a full circle moment.
What’s next for you?
Right now, I’m doing joy work in culture and education. I am serving as the Chief Operating Officer at Small World Music. We are a charity that brings equity to the stage and ensures decent work for artists and culture creators. I’m looking forward to creating an impact, producing talents from Toronto to the world. Second, I remain active in education, creating curriculum and learning experiences that are culturally responsive in Toronto and the Caribbean.
Thank you, Shereen! Read more about Shereen’s journey and her receipt of a 2022 Premier’s Award.
We also invite you to learn more about scholarship and award giving at Centennial College and how you can make a difference.