Meet our College Supports Team

Mona is a Registered Psychotherapist who provides confidential support, information and strategies to improve International student well-being. Mona can provide strategies to manage the various stressors that often come from moving to a new country. These may include: expectations to succeed, adjusting to Canadian culture, homesickness (leaving family and friends), crisis, isolation, loneliness, worrying, uncertainty about the future, the challenge of balancing new responsibilities, and difficulties with family, friends or other relationships. Additionally, Mona provides support for students who want to learn skills to improve their academics and/or want to explore potential careers in Canada.

Languages: English and Farsi

Hussam has the privilege of assisting students in identifying and fostering their strengths as they embark on their journey to build a successful career. Having lived in the Middle East and experienced the wonderful cultural differences, Hussam recognizes the value of international students and their positive impact on the Canadian workforce. With the ability to speak Arabic, Hussam hopes to provide some students an option to speak in their native language to better express themselves and their goals.

Languages: English and Arabic

Alison is a Registered Nurse (RN) and a graduate of both Mohawk College (1985) and McMaster University, with both a BScN (1989) and a Master’s degree in Science with a focus on Teaching (1999). She worked as a nurse and educator at the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation where her clinical focus was in cardiovascular disease and health promotion and also worked as a Public Health nurse. She has been a nursing professor in the Collaborative Mohawk-McMaster BScN Program for the past 18 years and a lead for the Global Health program at the Mohawk site. She is currently coordinator for the Canadian Healthcare for Internationally Educated Health Professionals program. She brings her knowledge of our health care sector and joy of working with international students to this role.

Sheva Leon is a full time professor in the Child and Youth Care (CYC) department. Prior to teaching she worked with children, youth and families, both locally and internationally. Having arrived in Canada in pursuit of further education from India, Sheva feels passionately about the international student experience. She holds a Masters of Science in Child and Youth Studies from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and completed her dissertation on the experience of CYC faculty in supporting student mental health. When she is not teaching, Sheva is busy in her role as a suicide interventions skills trainer which she has been doing since 2013. Witnessing the increasing number of international students across programs, she hopes to use her role as International Lead for the Community Studies department, to be a part of a strong network of support for both faculty and students.

Tara is a professor and program coordinator in Health, Wellness and Fitness at Mohawk College. Tara has worked in the industry as a fitness facility manager, presenter, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, strength and conditioning coach, and personal trainer/group fitness leader course conductor. Tara is currently International Faculty Lead for the School of Health and vice-president of the Board of Directors for the Community Support Centre Haldimand Norfolk. Tara owns her own small business, and was a nominee for Small Business of the Year Haldimand Norfolk 2018 & 2020, YMCA Peace Medal award and recipient of the Hearts of Haldimand award in 2018.She was the recipient of the President’s Award of Excellence - Faculty from Mohawk College in 2023.

Wayne has been teaching at Mohawk for over 21 years, with the last decade having a particular concentration of teaching hours with First Year students in Business programs, with about 50% of the student enrolment being International students. He is a committee member of the EDI Academic Division Committee and the Alumni Relations Committee. Wayne enjoys introducing students to topics in Intercultural Competence, EDI, Emotional Intelligence and Volunteering.

Internationally renowned as a musician, Jamshed frequently performs and writes music for concerts and films all over North America, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Alongside his position at Mohawk College, Jamshed enjoys sharing his passion for music with youth, regularly leading academic panels and various workshops worldwide, from creating new digital musical instruments, to writing music for film and television, and sound design in musical theatre. In addition to his musical exploits, Jamshed is an avid traveller, cinema and food enthusiast, frequently globetrotting and exploring films and cuisine of diverse cultures.

Kelley Hoyt works in both the Centre for Teaching & Learning and Mohawk International supporting faculty in developing tools and strategies to promote the success of international students. Kelley was a professor in the Human Services program at Mohawk College and actively involved in managing overseas global experiences for both student and faculty for many years before taking on this new role. Kelley is an IDI qualified administrator and her deep passion for understanding diverse cultures and countries of the world aids in her promotion of intercultural competencies across Mohawk.

Robert holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature and a Master’s in Library Science. He has been a Librarian at Mohawk College since 2007, and has also taught in the Business school and is the coordinator of the AR/VR program. Before coming to Mohawk, he lived and worked in several countries including South Korea, Israel and the United States. He has served in a few capacities in higher education including as Assistant Director for the International Student Services Office at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, where he advised international students and developed international student orientations. In total, he has over 20 years of experience working in higher education. His biggest interest is computer technology.

Karen is a Professor of Mathematics and Statistics (since 2002) and has taught courses across the college’s academic program catalogue including a secondment (2010 to 2021) with McMaster University’s W. Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology (SEPT). Karen has worked in the United States, New Zealand, France and now Canada across various industries (chemical, medical products, manufacturing, and global distribution) at such diverse companies as DuPont, Apple, and Amadeus GDS. Karen's current interests are connecting statistics education, and education in the field of Quality, to the current realities of an automated and data driven world. As an international faculty leader, she looks forward to promoting basic human connection through better understanding of the international student experience.

Born and raised in the Hamilton area, Julie has come full circle settling into a teaching career in a city she has always called home. Julie is self-directed educator, with passion and a commitment to student development and the learning experience. With over 25 years in the tourism industry, she is able to share first-hand knowledge in the areas of airlines, the hotel/accommodation sector and travel and event planning.

Her passion for teaching and travel coupled with an MBA in Hospitality and Tourism from the University of Guelph enable her to foster a positive learning environment for all students.