How a TikTok scroll sparked a student's leadership journey
Ciboney Pennyman is the recipient of the Student Experience Award, the Carla Cassidy Award and the Dennis Mock Student Leadership Award. Recognized for her outstanding student leadership, success and contributions to the university community, Pennyman’s drive, compassion and ambition serve to inspire future student leaders. Photo credit: Husam Dano
One night in Atlanta, Georgia, Ciboney Pennyman was doing what millions of other teens do, scrolling through TikTok. What she found wasn’t a new trend, but the first glimpse of a new city and school that would propel a major life change.
“I randomly saw a Canadian university TikTok. It didn't just focus on academics – it recognized that students have outside interests and showcased the city as well,” she says. “I was impressed with the campus, so I started taking a deeper look at the programs. That’s when I knew I had to apply.”
The ChooseTMU (external link) clip on the account formed part of the university’s recruiting efforts and highlighted its namesake city.
Toronto appealed to Pennyman’s preference for urban living. The dual citizen is from the U.S. but had ties to the GTA through her mother’s side. Until then, she hadn’t planned on applying to universities outside the U.S.
Coincidentally, her mother had also attended TMU for social work many years earlier and was encouraging her to apply to at least one Canadian university.
Now, Ciboney Pennyman, is graduating from the Language and Intercultural Relations program at TMU. The transition to Canada was relatively easy as Pennyman’s aunt lives in the GTA, with her grandmother and uncle close by.
Many years previous, Pennyman’s mother, Yasmine Aarons-Pennyman, received a certificate in social work from Toronto Metropolitan University in the late 1980’s.
Lost and found friendship
Coming out of a virtual first semester during the pandemic, Pennyman’s university start as an international student new to Canada made it difficult to meet people. The isolation had started to wear on her. “I started to feel defeated,” she recalls.
Things took an unexpected turn when, at the start of her second semester, she got lost in Kerr Hall looking for a classroom.
“It’s like a rite of passage, wandering the halls of that building. I kept walking past the same girl while trying to find my class, and eventually asked if she was lost too. She was, and we soon realized we were looking for the same class,” she says.
Pennyman shares how they figured it out together, setting in motion a friendship that would last throughout her time at TMU. “We’re inseparable and do everything together. That was a pivotal moment for me, when I felt that everything was going to be okay.”
Becoming a leader
Today, Pennyman is vice-president of the Languages, Literatures and Cultures Course Union and vice-president of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility of SASSH (Society of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities).
She is also active in various university initiatives including a Toronto District School Board (TDSB) partnership with TMU dedicated to expanding pathways to post-secondary education for Black youth.
“I saw students who were excited about what the future might hold for them. It’s important to see school boards working closely with higher education institutions to facilitate stronger partnerships and ultimately better transitions and outcomes for Black-identified students.”
Pennyman recently participated in the Women in the House program this past March, shadowing women Members of Parliament in Ottawa.
Women in the House program led by co-instructors Peggy Nash and Tracey Raney take students to Ottawa to expose them to a future in politics. Ciboney Pennyman with fellow students at the Supreme Court of Canada.
In April, she was hired by Elections Canada as a community relations officer for the on campus polling station, where she led community awareness efforts.
“I was a first-time voter in a Canadian federal election. It’s been really exciting for me to take part in both the U.S. and Canadian elections over the last 6 months. Voting gives us a chance to use the power we have to make the changes we want to see,” Pennyman says.
She worked closely with TMU’s Democratic Engagement Exchange, an organization that works to reduce barriers to participation in our democracy, to promote voting among students.
TMU students Ciboney Pennyman and Mila Vujnovic were hired by Elections Canada to facilitate voting awareness efforts on campus for the federal election. It was Ciboney’s first time voting in a federal election which came months after her first vote in an American presidential election.
Pennyman has also been engaged in meaningful research as an assistant on two major projects including Black Political Rhetoric in the 19th and 20th Centuries, working under Politics and Public Administration Professor Rob Goodman. The second research project involved establishing the Black Digital Archive under Interim Associate Dean of Arts, Research & Graduate Studies Mélanie Knight, and Arts Professor Anne-Marie Lee-Loy who is also associate dean, undergraduate studies in the Faculty of Arts.
The project, in collaboration with the Jamaican Canadian Association (JCA), collects historical materials to develop an archive that gives a fuller understanding of Canada’s Black history, experiences and contributions.
Part of Pennyman’s work included scanning documents to upload to the digital library where she came across images of her mother, who was a JCA member from 1977 until the late 1980's.
During her time as a research assistant for the Black Digital Archive, Ciboney Pennyman came across a photo of her mom during her time as a member of the Jamaican Canadian Association from 1977 until the late 1980's. The JCA was a social hub promoting Jamaican heritage and culture that continues to provide advocacy and social services to the community. Yasmine Aarons-Pennyman appears in the centre of a group of colleagues.
Applauding student leadership
From forging connections to leading with passion, curiosity and a community-minded focus, Pennyman has not just completed a degree, but found her voice and her power, helping others do the same.
As she prepares to receive her degree at this year’s convocation, she will also be celebrating at the Black Excellence Graduation Celebration for a final fete and farewell. The theme this year is ‘Black Legacy, Bold Futures’, honouring achievements and continued empowerment. This celebration of belonging and community will take place on Wednesday, June 11, at the Student Learning Centre (SLC).
It’s hard to believe that Pennyman has only just started fulfilling her potential. It is exciting to imagine what will come next.
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