Hi! I'm Sabreina, the child of immigrants who were born and raised in Egypt. A lifelong Hamilton resident, I am a product of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board. I attended what is now called Cootes Paradise Elementary School (formerly George R. Allen), Dalewood Middle School, and Westdale Secondary School. From there, I continued my education at McMaster University, where I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a Master of Arts in Labour Studies. My graduate research examined how the defunding and underfunding of public education impacts marginalized students and families across Ontario.

With nearly a decade of experience in the non-profit sector, youth work and grassroots organizing, I have worked across governance, public policy, social services, administration, and community-centred programming. My experience includes serving as the Diverse Communities Outreach Coordinator at the Sexual Assault Centre (Hamilton and Area) (SACHA), supporting youth programming and public health initiatives at the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion (HCCI), and serving on the Board of Directors at Mishka Social Services.

I believe deeply in the power of public education. I know first hand that when public education is properly funded, staff are supported and students have the support they need, they can thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. I look back on my time as a student in the HWDSB and remember the opportunities I had through extracurricular activities, clubs, and school programming. I also remember dropping off doughnuts when my high school teachers were on strike, fighting for better public education. My commitment to defending and strengthening our public education system is rooted in the belief that every student deserves those same opportunities and more.

At 23, I ran for school trustee for the first time after years of community organizing alongside students through a grassroots group called Hamilton Students for Justice (formerly HWDSB Kids Need Help), which I helped build during my time at Westdale. Together, we advocated for equitable, well-funded schools. Through that work, we successfully pushed for the creation of the Human Rights and Equity Advisor role (now the Human Rights Officer), the establishment of the Human Rights and Equity Advisory Committee, and increased support for both educators and students.

Since being elected as Ward 2 HWDSB Trustee in 2022, I have been honoured to help lead a number of initiatives, including:

 

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Expanding School Nutrition Programs

In June 2024, I brought forward a motion calling on the Board to work with community partners to expand access to school nutrition programs across the HWDSB. Since then, the Board has expanded to 80 nutrition programs across our schools, including the creation of a Nutrition Program Coordinator position.

Addressing Disproportionate Suspensions and Expulsions

I successfully brought forward a motion requesting the collection and reporting of disaggregated suspension and expulsion data to better understand disparities within our schools. This work has led to the creation of multilingual suspension and expulsion information cards to help families better understand the process, their rights, and available appeals. As Chair of the Policy Committee and a member of the Program Committee, I have continued advocating for policy changes and interventions that address disproportionalities and improve outcomes for students.

Supporting Students and Families

I have consistently advocated for stronger systems navigation and student-facing supports within our schools. This work has included advocating alongside students for increased human rights and student support staff, supporting in the role of the Student Trustee Mentor, leading sessions at the Student Leadership Summit, co-organizing community town halls, conducting school visits, and serving on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC), the Human Rights and Equity Advisory Committee (HREA), and the Faith Advisory Committee at different points during my term.

Strengthening Board Policy and Governance

As Chair of the Policy Committee for two years, I oversaw policy development and review cycles, supported policy gap analyses, and worked to ensure Board policies reflected the values of equity, accountability, and public education. During this time, I supported the development of the Board's Whistleblower Policy and seconded the motion directing staff to develop an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy. I also served on both the Program and Governance Committees.

Municipal and Provincial Advocacy

I have worked to strengthen partnerships between the school board and the City of Hamilton. This has included working with the local City Councillor, Cameron Kroetsch to secure funding for a fenced field at the former Sir John A. Macdonald School, ensuring students have access to safe green space. I also supported City Hall visits for all Grade 5 classes in Ward 2, where the City Councillor Kroetsch organized a morning of activities designed to engage students in civic literacy and help them better understand how their local government works. At the provincial level, I have advocated against legislation such as Bills 33 and 101, while working alongside trustees across Ontario to push for increased support for public education and meaningful changes to a broken provincial funding formula that continues to leave students and schools without the resources they need.

Multi-Year Strategic Plan

As a member of the Board, I helped shape our current Multi-Year Strategic Plan, which prioritizes:

  • Upholding human rights, safety, and well-being.
  • Providing equitable, high-quality education.
  • Collaborating with students, families, and communities.
  • Building a sustainable public education system.
  • Reinforcing Indigenous educational wellness and reconciliation.

This Strategic Plan also informs the Board Improvement Plan, which is updated annually to advance:

  • Literacy achievement for every student.
  • Numeracy achievement for every student.
  • Future readiness for every student.
  • Student engagement.
  • Student well-being.

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