At the age of 15, Hanen Nanaa had to flee her home country of Syria.
After spending four challenging years in Turkey, Nanaa’s family was granted refugee status in Canada. They arrived in Toronto in 2016.
“I had to step in as a decision-maker and support my family. At the time, I only spoke a shred of English,” she said.
Today, not only has she overcome these harrowing obstacles, she was named one of TMU’s Rising Stars in 2025, has become a successful social entrepreneur, prestigious award winner and public policy advisor for one of Canada’s largest government agencies.
Inspired to use her voice
While taking adult courses to get her high school diploma, and volunteering with various organizations to improve her English, Nanaa was selected for a program led by Equal Voice, a national charity that brings young women to Ottawa for a week to learn about the Canadian political system.
“As someone who comes from the rural side of Syria where women have limited political opportunities, I was inspired to see young women presenting on issues affecting their communities and advocating for change,” she said.
“I came back and I told my parents, ‘This is what I’m going for.’” (They were hesitant, she noted, given that political engagement can be dangerous in Syria, but ultimately they supported her.)
After being accepted into TMU’s Politics and Governance program, Nanaa threw herself into the TMU community, becoming president of her program’s student association and applying to the Innovation Social Fund to run community events.
“TMU was not only focused on teaching you in the classroom…but also providing you opportunities to network, run with your ideas and create change,” she said.
Throughout her time at TMU, Nanaa co-led the Books, Art and Music (BAM) Collective, which she founded with fellow TMU student, Hani Moulia.
Using art and innovation, the organization engages and supports equity-deserving communities to foster advocacy and create accessible pathways for social change.
BAM events, which have taken place in Toronto’s Regent Park and Scarborough, have included interactive, non-partisan education sessions about upcoming elections, action on climate change, building connections between refugees, newcomers and Indigenous peoples, and roundtables on community safety and gun violence.
In one event that involved storytelling and music, refugees and Indigenous people discussed the commonalities of their experiences and how to build bridges between their communities.
“I always try to think, ‘How can I make it creative? How can I get people more engaged’?” she said.
Hanen Namaa, right, celebrates her Canadian citizenship with Sean Fraser, left, who was minister of immigration, refugees and citizenship.
Proud Canadian
In her final year at TMU, Nanaa served as Ontario regional advisor at the Ministers’ Regional Office - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
Her leadership has earned her the 2023 Pam McConnell Award, the 2023 Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and a nomination for DMZ’s 2024 Woman of the Year.
In 2023, Hanen Namaa was awarded the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award and the 2023 Youth Award.
