Image Source: Carlos Osorio / Toronto Star
Neethan Shan was recently acclaimed as the first South Asian and the first Eelam Tamil to serve as Chair of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), Canada’s largest school board.
Toronto is home to the largest Eelam Tamil diaspora in Canada, with TDSB oversees more than 200,000 students.
Speaking to Tamil Guardian, Shan reflected on his journey to becoming Chair, stating, “entering a TDSB school as a refugee at the age of 16, nearly 30 years ago, and now stepping into this role is a testament to the resilience of our people and the strength our struggle has given us.”
Shan emphasized that while he is “proud to be breaking barriers, the most important goal is to open these spaces up for others and remove barriers for future generations to step into these positions."
This is just one of many barriers Shan has overcome in his career. Shan was the youngest Tamil elected to public office in Canada, the first Tamil Toronto City Councillor and the first Tamil to become president of a political party (Ontario New Democratic Party).
Shan is currently the TDSB Trustee for Scarborough Centre, the Executive Director of Urban Alliance on Race Relations, and the Chief Executive Officer of Tamil Canadian Centre for Civic Action.
Read more here.