Pioneers in a Learning Revolution

Sometimes you just know where you were meant to be.

When Kenda SHAHEEN’06 entered Branksome Hall as a Grade 9 student, she wore her uniform proudly. A serious ballet student, Kenda made a graceful figure in the Hunting Stewart tartan kilt and green blazer she and her mom had picked up at the tuck shop before the school year began. Even that occasion had felt “almost ceremonial”—another chance to see the campus, walk the halls and soak it all up.

“I was like a kid in a candy store looking at all the things I could do,” says Kenda, who recently became a partner in the corporate group at Dentons, a global law firm, in Toronto. “I remember thinking, this is a school that has a 100-year-old swimming pool and a proud rowing team. Then, as a dancer, I was in awe of the school’s theatre, with stage curtains, lighting and a sound system, instead of a gymnasium with chairs. It felt like every resource was at my fingertips and I could start my own legacy at Branksome.”

Two years later, Kenda got the chance to be part of another, historic legacy at Branksome. Principal Karen Jurjevich had introduced the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme at Branksome in 2003, the first Toronto girls’ school to do so. Kenda and her parents saw it as a further opportunity to enrich her academics in a way that fulfilled her love of learning.

The IB is premised on a well-rounded education, and the two-year Diploma Programme for Grade 11 and 12 students would embed a global perspective, inquiry-based instruction and international standards in the Branksome curriculum. There would be courses in humanities, mathematics and sciences, plus arts and electives, as well as requirements for community service and a 4,000-word essay.

Kenda thought it all sounded awesome. Branksome had first piloted the IB with selected courses a year before, then offered the full Diploma Programme to student volunteers in 2004. Kenda jumped in, and became one of the first 11 IB graduates in 2006. Today, the school offers the Diploma Programme to all students in Grades 11 and 12.

“I found new confidence in myself by participating in the IB Programme,” says Kenda. “I planned my course load for two years and built relationships with the same group of teachers and like-minded students who were prioritizing academia but also interested in this more well-rounded and global approach to learning. For example, in Higher-Level history, we didn’t just read about history in our textbooks, we had opportunities to immerse ourselves in the stories, to act them out, such as negotiating the peace deal to end a certain civil war.”

The Socratic style of self-learning suited Kenda well. The idea that students would no longer just be regurgitating information but asking questions, thinking critically and coming to their own conclusions felt much more meaningful to her.

“It was a very different approach from what I was used to and was much more collaborative,” she says. “What I realized later was how much we were also learning about ourselves as learners and leaders—to think independently and take a position confidently. I’ve often found myself problem-solving in a way that IB taught me, which has provided a framework for other parts of my life, including my career as a lawyer.”

It would be a balancing act between school and dance all through her Branksome years. Kenda pursued ballet as an extracurricular but in the way that some people commit to hockey or gymnastics—with three hours a day every day in the studio. For Kenda, ballet was very much a real career prospect, with classes at the National Ballet School and with a private coach.

“There were days with competitions where I’d have to miss classes, and because my poor toes would be blistered from performances, I often wore my green knee socks with Birkenstock sandals—a uniform infraction,” says Kenda with a laugh. “All of the teachers understood. There was this idea that whatever you pursued as a passion was supported. This was a place where I could be my whole self.”

A first-generation Canadian, Kenda is the youngest in her family and the only girl, with two older brothers. Her parents are Palestinian citizens of Israel who immigrated to Canada in 1978. She grew up in Scarborough, moving to North York when she was in Grade 6 where she attended the local Catholic school and then a private co-ed one, but felt uncomfortable due to social bullying—an experience that would later inspire her to lead Peer Support at Branksome.

Kenda says she was the ultimate decision-maker on choosing Branksome as well as on entering the IB Programme, choices her parents agreed with whole-heartedly.

While that first IB class of 11 girls supported each other and bonded over workloads and deadlines, Kenda felt there was an unspoken understanding that they were different from other students in another way—that there were greater expectations for them, especially since many had parents who had made sacrifices so they could attend Branksome.

“When I looked at the students around me, several were also immigrants or first-generation Canadians, often students who didn’t quite fit the typical mould, in that we didn’t have the same legacy as some of the other girls did. But because we were pioneers for IB, we were suddenly at the forefront. There was a sense we were all part of something bigger, and that if successful, we would carry that legacy forward.”

Now spread throughout Canada, the United States and Europe, all 11 alums of that first IB Diploma class have flourished in a diverse range of careers, including law, investment banking and medicine, as well as contributing to multiple causes. For instance, Laura ASHTON Edwards’06, a doctor, worked with patients on life support during the early days of COVID-19 in the U.K., and Gladys OSIEN’06, an associate at Gowlings law firm, is also a Black legal mentor in residence for the University of Ottawa.

Sohani AMARASEKERA’06, a doctor and clinical assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh, is another of those 11 graduates. In addition to her job as an ophthalmologist, Sohani has worked on clinical and surgical projects in India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Kenya.

“I think the international component of the IB really fostered being able to see yourself as a global citizen and having responsibilities to a larger community,” says Sohani. “That’s something I’m passionate about and have carried through with my work in developing countries to provide or improve access to health care.”

Sohani chose the IB because it offered the most comprehensive and rigorous academics and she was planning to apply to competitive universities in the United States. “The IB has a known international standard and reputation, so it’s easier for universities to understand what your achievements are, rather than relying on a school’s grading system,” she says. “When I ultimately went to the University of Pennsylvania, I had confidence in my skills because I knew where I stood relative to an international benchmark. Also, certain things like the Extended Essay prepared me for the longer investigative work I did in undergrad.”

Sohani also recalls how Principal Jurjevich supported the students in the IB Programme as well as in extracurriculars such as the debating team and Model UN. “Branksome was the first time I had a principal who was female, so seeing her leadership from the top down was wonderful,” says Sohani. “I felt empowered in an all-female environment to really use my voice and speak up, which again gave me confidence when I was tackling new challenges in university.”

Kenda, too, saw Karen as a force—as a businesswoman as well as school leader—excelling, promoting excellence and literally paving the path forward for the next generation of young girls. “What I admire most about Karen is this ability to see what’s happening in the world and where Branksome is on the dial,” says Kenda. “Her greatest legacy is ensuring that Branksome was always one step ahead.”

Looking back, Kenda says that when people ask about her early influences, she always says Branksome and ballet—her ballet teachers for inspiring discipline and dedication to an art form and Branksome for giving her the resources to figure out who she was and for fostering that growth. “A big takeaway of IB for me was definitely going into university feeling a lot more prepared to tackle university life,” she says. “A massive component of being able to navigate undergrad was having that independence and the ability to rely on oneself.”

Kenda would go on to graduate from McGill University with a BSc in psychology and education, followed by York University’s Osgoode Hall Law School. After articling with Dentons in Toronto, she joined the Dentons corporate group in Dubai, working with local and international clients before returning to the Toronto office. Her current practice is predominantly in corporate transactional work involving venture technology, which is a harmonious intersection of her interests in mentorship and entrepreneurial matters.

“Helping others has been very much a core component of who I am and what I do,” says Kenda. “As a lawyer, I support clients every day, as a mentor and a problem solver. That’s who I am.”

Dance also continues to be part of who Kenda is, but now as an appreciative audience member, frequently visiting the ballet in Toronto or when travelling around the world. Sometimes, it’s also her refuge.

“Ballet finds me in times of stress,” she says. “Sometimes my fiancé, Adam, will catch me twirling around between meetings when working from home, knowing very well that this is my ‘release.’”

It’s a skilful balance in a well-rounded life. Kenda continues to lead both in her job and in the community as a member of the Law in Action within Schools program, mentoring inner-city youth, and most recently as a board member for ParticipACTION. She recently received the Mentorship Award at Dentons for her work to support junior lawyers navigating the early stages of their careers.

She also plans to volunteer for Branksome’s Noodle mentorship program for young entrepreneurs, acting as a judge at their competitions. And she often participates in career panels at Branksome to support girls in the decisions they make about their next steps, helping them to navigate, particularly around undergrad decisions.

“I hope to one day inspire others to pursue their own legacy at Branksome,” she says. “And if I were to have a daughter, I would love her to go there. For me, the experience was remarkable.”