Prilly Bicknell-Hersco, a York University PhD student in the Faculty of Graduate Studies, is one of this year’s Rising Graduate Scholars selected by The EDU Ledger, a leading higher education magazine, for making a meaningful impact in academia and beyond.
The Rising Graduate Scholars recognition, presented annually by The EDU Ledger, honours a select group of minority graduate students in North America whose research, leadership and community engagement demonstrate emerging promise in higher education.
Bicknell-Hersco's work centres on her doctoral research, which examines how Black students with non-visible, undiagnosed, or undisclosed disabilities experience barriers in post-secondary education. This focus stems in part from her own experiences navigating university as a Black student with a disability and a young mother. Entering post-secondary through the Transitional Year Program, an access initiative for students from underrepresented backgrounds, she encountered systemic barriers that shaped her understanding of institutional inequities. These lived experiences inform her research and drive her aim to influence policies and practices that improve academic outcomes and inclusion for Black students with disabilities.
By exploring how institutional systems can hinder or facilitate student success, she situates her work within a growing field at the intersection of Black studies, disability studies and education – areas that are under-researched in Canada.
“I’m incredibly humbled and honoured to be recognized for my research and community work,” says Bicknell-Hersco.
Her research focus naturally extends into her teaching. Bicknell-Hersco instructs Black studies courses at York, guiding students through historical and contemporary issues affecting Black lives across the Americas and connecting global contexts to their lived experiences.
That foundation of inquiry and mentorship evolved through her earlier work as a research assistant with Carl James at the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community & Diaspora, where she contributed to the project “Negotiating University, Fulfilling the Dream: The Case of Black Students," that examines how first-year Black students navigate university. Building on that experience, her dissertation focuses specifically on the academic and social experiences of Black women with disabilities in post-secondary settings.
Since June 2024, Bicknell-Hersco has expanded her work internationally as a senior research assistant at Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC) under Miguel González, professor in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies.
The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)-funded project “Emancipatory Horizons for Self-Determination of Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Peoples in Central America” has allowed her to collaborate with seven Raizal women to preserve cultural heritage and advance self-determination through a living Indigenous Data Repository. She has also co-designed workshops that equip participants with legal and advocacy tools. This international work complements her doctoral research on equity and inclusion in Canadian post-secondary education, highlighting her broader commitment to advancing marginalized communities.
The Rising Graduate Scholar award marks the latest of several recent accolades for Bicknell-Hersco. She is the recipient of the 2025-26 Ontario Graduate Scholarship and inspired high school students as a panelist at the Ontario Association of Black School Educators Annual Provincial Conference. She has presented her research at national events, including the Canadian Society for the Study of Education and the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education, and was recently nominated Graduate Student Representative for the Canadian Association for the Study of Social Justice in Education.
Beyond her research, Bicknell-Hersco strengthens academic networks at home and abroad. She serves as membership Chair of the Black Women’s Studies Association, an independent international professional organization that fosters research, teaching and leadership among Black women scholars across disciplines. In this role, she cultivates mentorship and solidarity, linking scholarly work with professional development while connecting researchers from Canada, the U.S. and beyond.
Bicknell-Hersco’s achievements reflect a sustained trajectory of scholarship, leadership and recognition. She credits her success to the encouragement and support from her academic and social communities.
“It is with the support and encouragement of professors at York University, mentors and friends who have believed in me along the way that my achievements have been possible,” she says. “I hope I can inspire other Black students, mothers, women and disabled people in education to remain steadfast in pursuing their dreams.”