To the students at Ottawa’s Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest, Mrs. Rouhana is so much more than “just” a physics teacher. Hédié Rouhana spent nearly a decade leading the school’s STEM Club, helping students discover the endless possibilities of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Now, after years in the classroom encouraging students to take risks, build programs, and find the confidence to lead, Rouhana has earned the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence in STEM. “I wouldn’t be here in this program, and I wouldn’t have finished in the program if it weren’t for her,” says former student Anjali Daswan. Daswan co-nominated Rouhana for the award and adds, “You can’t even put a price on of what I’ve learned from her.” “I was overwhelmed,” says Rouhana, “I had won just knowing that those students felt that way, and the first prize I got was from them.” Rouhana is now a vice principal at another school, but the STEM Club will stand as a proud part of her legacy at Samuel-Genest, with lessons that go beyond the classroom. Agathe Godbout is a biology and chemistry teacher at Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest. She also co-nominated Rouhana for the award and says, “Often, we see in schools a teacher that begins a project, but when that teacher leaves, it dies. This is not the case. We’re keeping it alive.” The honour recognizes Rouhana’s dedication to science education and the lasting impact on students. “She has engaged with these students…and (the club) is still evolving and because it matters what the work they do matters,” says Godbout. Winning the award for the program she helped create is a full circle moment for Rouhana. She not only taught at Collège Catholique Samuel-Genest, but she was also a student. “I wanted to come back and teach here because I believed in the mission of the school… I did everything in my path to come back and teach and I love it. I wanted to honour my teachers who showed me so much that made me fall in love with science,” says Rouhana. The STEM Club started with 5 students and has grown to more than 60. The club’s co-president Beatrice Courtney-Chung says, “All the projects we do open to my eyes to so many different things that I never would have thought of before. We made like a village with lights, so we had to make the circuits for the houses. That was really interesting because I would never have thought of making a circuit myself. She just makes it really fun.” One of the STEM Club’s goals is to pass their knowledge to the next generation by presenting science lessons to younger students. Club member Benjamin Donahue says, “When I’m presenting, it feels really good to know that I created this (lesson) and we all work together as a team, and that we’re making these children better people and encouraging them to go into STEM. It’s really just rewarding for me.” Rouhana’s presence also carries another message. Coming from a family that immigrated to Canada, Rouhana says it’s important for her to lead by example to all the students in the STEM Club, especially for the girls. “For me to be able to be a role model to a young woman, woman of color was really, really important and it’s one of the missions of the club. It’s when the kids meet, they repeat the mission of the club which is inclusiveness… It just makes me so happy and I’m a mom of four daughters, four girls so it’s so important to me too on a personal level.”
