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Just as quickly as Allison Green began her OISE studies, applying her knowledge and developing her praxis as a secondary school teacher, it’s quickly wrapping up.

Green, the recipient of the 2025-26 OISE Indigenous Scholarship for Master's Students, will cross the Convocation stage this spring. The whirlwind two-year journey for the Master of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy student brought in her insight as a secondary school teacher and worked to broaden her insight through coursework and peer engagement.

“I’m really grateful for how this experience has unfolded,” says Green, who worked with youth at the Quinte Mohawk School on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory. “Coming to U of T felt intimidating at first, and like many people, I experienced moments of imposter syndrome early on. Those feelings were short lived as I began to feel more grounded in my work and abilities. I have grown a great deal, both academically and personally, and I am proud of what I have accomplished.”

Green’s student award is a part of the OISE Scholarship Program for Indigenous Students program. The awardee is determined based on academic merit and previous and intended contributions to their community.

Dr. Sameena Eidoo, Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream in the Department of Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, got to know Green during a course she teaches about decolonization in education. “As a co-learner in this course, Allison was part of a generative learning community who read and discussed classic texts by anti-colonial and decolonial thinkers from Turtle Island and beyond,” she said. “The course engages in a reflective process of what it means to decolonize and teach decolonization.”

Green generously contributed to that process, says Eidoo, offering her insights from the literature in relation to her work and teaching experiences. “Allison carries a deep sense of purpose in her work as an educator, and offers a pedagogy rooted in truth and love for her communities,” says Eidoo.

Green has made the most of her time. Her study interests include decolonization, land-based pedagogies, and the disconnect between federal and provincial schooling. She hasn’t rested on laurels, working as a private tutor and supply teacher in Toronto.

“There's been a lot of room for me to bring in my background in Indigenous education, that's been really important for me,” she added. “This experience has strengthened my interest in research, and if I were to pursue it further in the future, I would want to focus on land-based learning or examine the disconnect between federally and provincially funded schools, drawing on my experience teaching both on and off reserve.”

She has a lot to offer, and it is leaving an impact with her peers. For Jasmine El-Hacha, her colleague in the in Educational Leadership and Policy program, Green has demonstrated remarkable growth both intellectually and personally. “When we met in the fall of 2024,” she says, “it was clear that Allison was an eloquent and thoughtful scholar who approached coursework with care.

“We had every class together for the fall semester, and over time, I’ve seen her confidence in her academic voice deepen.”

El-Hacha says Green’s work consistently reflects a critical engagement with theory that translates well to practice, which is imperative as a secondary school teacher continuing to hone her pedagogy. “As a person,” she added, “she has grown into someone who leads with compassion, and I have been lucky enough to see and experience firsthand how she collaborates, listens, and supports those around her.”

Meanwhile Green’s passions and academic focus have had a meaningful impact on her own work.

“She has become a sounding board as someone I trust to think alongside me, whether we’re workshopping ideas or offering feedback on each other’s projects,” says El-Hacha. “She has been a remarkable support for me as I navigate my master’s thesis. “I feel incredibly fortunate to call her both a colleague and a close friend, and I continue to learn from the intentionality she brings to everything she does.”

For Green, between the new ideas and the new faces, it has been more than worth it. “I didn't necessarily want to give up being a student, but I also wanted to continue learning,” she says. “I'm really pleased with how it's turned out.”