Office Staff
Asher Trim-Gaskin
Executive Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4037
Email: director.imhotep@dal.ca
To be Staffed
Outreach and Communications Officer
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2400
Email: outreach.imhotep@dal.ca
Mansita M. Njie
Program Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-7884
Email: imhotep@dal.ca
Tehya Benjamin
Program Assistant
Contact:
Phone: 902-943-0362
Email: ilaprg@dal.ca
Wanda L. Colley
Finance & Program Director
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4402
Email: admin.imhotep@dal.ca
Kayler Mutyabule
Kayler Mutyabule, an entrepreneurial and empathetic young professional, was born and raised in Uganda, East Africa. She learned adaptability from a young age when she moved to Canada in Junior High and graduated in 2018, honours with distinction. Her enthusiasm for leadership and collaborative work is highlighted throughout her time at Dalhousie University where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce degree (major: Supply Chain Management and Logistics) in 2022, being recognized as an international-award-winning public speaker and was selected as a finalist for Frank H. Sobeys Award for Excellence in Business Studies across Nova Scotia.
Kayler is passionate about Black excellence, combatting underrepresentation, and community collaboration. She initiated Dalhousie University’s first Supply Chain society, which created opportunities for women’s participation and increased interest in the program. Kayler is dedicated to black youth’s success which aligns with ILA’s mission, serving initially as a program mentor since 2020, as program coordinator in 2022, and interacting closely with the young students and their communities. She also is co-founder of Cheerful Givers, a charity organization that fundraises to support the healthcare, nutrition, and education of children ages 0-7 years with incarcerated mothers serving time at Luzira Prisons in Uganda. She also enjoys travelling, embarking on new entrepreneurial business initiatives, and spending quality time with family.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2742 or 902-494-2400
Email: ilappc@dal.ca or ppc.imhotep@dal.ca
Wanda L. Colley
Wanda Colley was born and raised in Beechville, Nova Scotia. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce (Accountancy) from Concordia University, Montreal, PQ; and a Diploma in IT and Computer Studies from Mount Saint Vincent University, Halifax, NS.
She is a self-published author of poetry and creative non-fiction, and has experience in systems development and support, financial management, and web development.
She has been honored to witness and to contribute to ILA’s growth.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4402
Email: admin.imhotep@dal.ca
Asher TRIM-GASKIN
Asher hails from the beautiful island of Barbados. His leadership qualities emerged as a delegate of the Global Youth Leadership Conference as an early teen. He is an avid sportsman–having represented the island in swimming and rubgy and he is a 23-year classical violinist–10 of which were spent as first violin in the Barbados National Youth Orchestra. In 2017, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology with a Certificate in Genetics from Dalhousie University. During his time at DAL he was President of the Caribbean Connection Student Society for two consecutive years and more recently, he was a Teaching Assistant for second-year Genetics and Diversity courses. To further satisfy his love for community development and leadership, Asher leads a youth group and plays violin in the band of his local church Deep Water. The 2018-2019 program year was Asher’s first year as the ILA Program Manager.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-4037
Email: director.imhotep@dal.ca or asp.imhotep@dal.ca
Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene
Benjamin Ofosu-Atuahene is from Ghana in the West Africa sub-region where he completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Ghana, Legon. During his second year at the University of Ghana, he was selected as Ghana and West Africa’s only representative at the 2016 annual KGIP in Seoul, Korea for excellent undergraduate students.
He traveled to Canada to continue his education at the graduate level with the Department of political science at Dalhousie University, where he was awarded three separate scholarships and graduated in 2021.
Benjamin is a motivated professional with hands-on experience in social and political research. He is skilled in identifying social research and policy needs and developing innovative solutions to complex research and policy challenges. More importantly, he is passionate about Black excellence and has been with the ILA since January 2022 as the outreach and communication officer.
Benjamin is currently a pursuing Ph.D. in Political Studies at Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. During his free time, he listens to music and play board games.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-2742 or 902-494-2400
Email: outreach.imhotep@dal.ca
Mansita M. Njie
Mansita Njie is a proud African from The Gambia, West Africa subregion. She completed her high school education in Gambia after which she moved to Canada to further her education at Dalhousie University. She graduated in 2019 with a double major in Environmental Sustainability & Society and International Development Studies with honours.
After her undergraduate, she landed a job as a junior Environmental and Social Analyst at a consultancy firm in Senegal and later became a tax officer in The Gambia. During her time as a junior Environmental and Social Analyst, Mansita became more purposed towards finding mitigation and adaption strategies to combat climate change and study the impacts of global warming on agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mansita is enthusiastic about making higher education more accessible and attainable for our youth and ensuring that they know the world is their oyster, anything they put their mind to, they can and will achieve. Her philosophy on life is to lead with kindness.
On her free time, you can find Mansita either reading a novel or designing or styling an outfit for her side business.
Contact:
Phone: 902-494-7884
Email: imhotep@dal.ca
Tehya-Benjamin
Tehya is an African Nova Scotian, who grew up in Halifax. She has recently completed her studies at the University of Ottawa, where she completed an undergraduate degree in Health Sciences with honors. Being an ILA alumnus, participating in these programs growing up helped Tehya find a love for STEM and opportunities to pursue it further in university.
With a passion for community health and research, Tehya is interested in furthering her studies in the healthcare field to positively impact the health and well-being of marginalized and vulnerable communities around her.
Having a love for sports and an elite athletic background, Tehya represented Nova Scotia’s national women’s artistic gymnastics team for 10 years. She then became a part of uOttawa’s cheerleading team throughout her studies. Tehya stays active now by competing for Nova Scotia’s Tumbling Team.
In her free time, Tehya loves to travel and try new foods with family and friends, with a good book by her side.
Contact:
Phone: 902-943-0362
Email: ilaprg@dal.ca
Culture of Growing Program (COG)
(Engaging African Nova Scotian Youth in Agriculture and Community Food Security)
Alex ADZA
Regional Program Coordinator – North PrestonMarie GREEN
Regional Program Coordinator – SydneyTo be staffed
Regional Program Coordinator – DigbyStella OWUSU NKETIA
Regional Program Coordinator – Truro
Alyssa ESTWICK
COG Mentor – Sydney- To be staffed
COG Program Mentor – Digby Cadine JOHNSON FOSTER
COG Program Mentor – TruroLeah KHISA
COG Program Mentor – North Preston
Virtual School Program (VSP)
Jelani ELLIS
VSP TutorCarol-Joy CHEVANNES
VSP TutorDeclon DESOUZA
VSP TutorMaddin LAFFIN-SANTIAGO
VSP TutorGlodin MULALI
VSP TutorTiara MULDER
VSP TutorAriel PROVO
VSP Tutor
Sarah ASTATKIE
VSP TutorGisa Hervé KAZUNGU
VSP TutorBoris NGES
VSP CoordinatorAkuabata OKANYA
VSP TutorAnthony OKORO
VSP TutorJaiana SHARPE
VSP Tutor (Wolfville)Joan USMAN
VSP Tutor (Wolfville)
After-School Program (ASP)
Joyce ADEYI
ASP Mentor (Wolfville)
- Gisa Hervé KAZUNGU
ASP Coordinator
- Isatou BADJIE
ASP Mentor
Jasmin DESMOND
ASP Coordinator (Antigonish)
Chiamaka EKEADAH
ASP MentorRhandi FERGUSON
ASP CoordinatorAnastasia FORBES
ASP Coordinator- Nathaniel GEBRE
ASP Mentor Bright KWAYKE
ASP MentorJoshua PARIS
ASP Mentor
Emmanuella ILUEBBEY
ASP MentorCadine JOHNSON FOSTER
ASP Mentor (Truro)Maddin LAFFIN-SANTIAGO
ASP MentorAfisemi NGEI
ASP MentorUchechukwu OKEREKE
ASP CoordinatorOluwakemi OLAROTIMI
ASP CoordinatorOmolola OSHIKOYA
ASP MentorDumebi OSY-KAMALU
ASP MentorIbrahim Khalil YAFFA
ASP MentorTaja SCRIVEN
ASP CoordinatorEve WEDDERBURN
ASP Mentor
FIRST LEGO League Program (FLL)
Oluwatobi OSHIKOYA
FLL CoordinatorJoyce ADEYI
FLL Mentor (Wolfville)Elisabet ASTATKIE
FLL MentorOluwadamilare BANKOLE
FLL MentorRosemary ETU-EFEOTOR
FLL Mentor (Wolfville)Sungwoo SONG
FLL Coordinator
Chibuike EKEADAH
FLL MentorNnaemeka NNADEDE
FLL MentorHillary OGOKE
FLL MentorTemitope ONAFALUJO
FLL MentorGabriel ROBERTS
FLL Mentor
ILA Coding Program (iCO)
Bright ADAMS
ILA Coding MentorOluwatoni ADENIYI
ILA Coding MentorSussan ANUKEM
ILA Coding MentorBimpe AYOOLA
ILA Coding MentorOlamiposi OLAIYA
ILA Coding MentorKenose OSEDEME
ILA Coding Coordinator
Young, Gifted & Black Future Physicists (YGBFP) Initiative
Michael GODWIN
YGBFP Project ManagerBimpe AYOOLA
YGBFP Research Assistant
2024/25 Student Internships
Omesiri ERHEKPAINE
Logistics Officer (Fall)To be staffed
Activity Developer (Canada Summer Jobs)
Damilola ADEBAYO
Social Media SpecialistJeffrey LYN
Young, Gifted & Black Science Fair Coordinator
