Faculty of Education Alumni Network - Division of Advancement

If you are interested in finding out more about how you can get involved with YUEAN or want to hear more about their upcoming initiatives, please contact Yasmine Mensah, Alumni Engagement Officer at mensahy@yorku.ca.

Meet the 2024-2026 Executive Team

Jason A. Singh

Chair
BEd ’11

Jason A. Singh (BEd ’11) is an educational leader, AI innovator, and community builder who founded and now chairs the York University Faculty of Education Alumni Network (YUEAN). He has led the network’s rapid growth, including a 14× expansion of the collaborative FESA-YUEAN mentorship program and recognition as Alumni Network of the Year in 2025. As Director of Education at Medix College, Jason drives faculty development, student success, and technology‑enabled innovation across multiple campuses. He created the AI Toolbox for Educators and founded AI for Everyone – Toronto, a City‑funded initiative expanding public access to AI literacy. Jason has served as a school principal in both urban and First Nation contexts, embedding equity, trauma‑informed practice, and culturally responsive leadership into school systems. He is the author of two books and multiple peer‑reviewed works on leadership, online learning, and flourishing communities.

Esther Martinez

Vice-Chair
BEd ’21, BA ’21, MEd ’24

Esther is a three-time graduate of York University, earning a Bachelor of Arts with Honours, a Bachelor of Education, and a Master of Education. During her graduate studies, she actively contributed in the York community serving in roles such as Co-Chair for the York Graduate Students in Education (YGSE) and as a President’s Ambassador. Esther was the recipient of the Cornerstone Leadership in Action Graduating Student Award for two consecutive years, highlighting her dedication to fostering supportive and engaging communities. She remains actively involved with York as part of the YUEAN and as a Young Alumni Ambassador. Esther is also the founder of Raíces, an initiative created to support Latino students in their educational and career journeys. She was named one of York’s 2026 Top 30 Alumni Under 30 for her efforts to create positive change in her community.

Blessing Owusu-Cobby

Secretary
BA ’17, BEd ’19, MEd ’24

Blessing is an educator, children’s book author, and dedicated advocate for equity and inclusivity in education. A leader in inclusive teaching, her master’s research on Black students’ experiences in schools led to the creation of Abena’s Adventures: A Taste of Home, a children’s book inspired by her Ghanaian‑Canadian heritage that is now used in classrooms to celebrate cultural identity and belonging. She also launched Lessons With Blessing, an online platform offering resources to help educators create equitable, affirming learning environments. These innovative contributions, reflecting her commitment to “bringing inclusivity and equity to the forefront” of teaching, research and advocacy earned her a place on York’s 2025 Top 30 Alumni Under 30 list.

Mizgin Semsur

Co-Director of Engagement and Events
MEd '21, BEd '19, Hons. B.A. '17

Mizgin is a secondary school teacher who works in a public school board with students from all walks of life. Mizgin’s current practice focuses on the multilingual language learner community at the school. She works closely with educators, administrators, and families to ensure student success in language proficiency in English. Drawing on research findings from the Faculty of Education at York University, Mizgin uses a research-based approach in fostering a learning environment that is culturally relevant and responsive to all learners. Her goal is to continue her learning through professional development opportunities to utilize different methods and techniques to support her students in achieving their potential.

Ivana Kovacevic

Network Leader
MEd '19, Graduate Diploma in Language and Literacy Education '19, Hons. B.A. '17, Concurrent DTEIL Certificate '17, TESOL Certificate '18

Ivana is a private instructor and founder of Heart of Learning, an English Literacy Academy based in Toronto, Canada. Over the past 6 and a half years, she has been self-employed, homeschooling local families, providing online and in-home private lessons, and creating free and accessible educational content on Instagram for learners worldwide. Prior to this, she had gained professional experience teaching adult newcomers Business English courses at a career college, hiring, training, and assessing instructors, teaching English abroad in Japan, and tutoring at two local agencies. Ivana also gathered volunteer experience at YUELI (York University’s English Language Institute), a foreign language university in Cuba, and her Toronto high school as an alumnus. She has been a member of YUEAN since November 2025 and has truly enjoyed networking with other professionals in the education sector as well as mentoring a current student and organizing various events for alumni and BEd students.