CELEBRATING 17 years of Service in The City of champions!

Leadership no problem! This  Grade 12 student from Ross Sheppard has done nothing but lead since the moment he entered the school building in 2024. Born and raised in Kenya this incredibly hard working young man from Somali has dedicated much of his life to supporting events and uplifting his culture.A co-President of Ross Shep’s Black Students’ Association (BSA), he was instrumental in the organization of the First Annual Ross Sheppard BSA Gala, a major cultural and community-building event that expanded across multiple schools in both the Edmonton Public and Catholic school systems. As a Volunteer he has been very active as a proud member of the Al Rashid Mosque in Edmonton, he is also a regular volunteer with the Edmonton Food Bank. Warasme also participates in track as a sport, and his personal ambitions include a strong commitment to community service, a deep connection to cultural identity, and a passion for leadership and youth empowerment. 

We are beyond thrilled to have Warsame take over as the NEW VP of the tourney, expect a great relationship with him this summer and during our event August 16/17 2025!

Are you interested in volunteering for our tournament? Send us a DM or check out our website at www.andrewgparker.com 

Fatima Nabe is passionate about giving back to her community and creating spaces where people feel supported, represented, and connected. Much of her leadership has centered around uplifting youth and fostering community involvement through both school and extracurricular initiatives. As Co-President of the Black Students’ Association at Ross Sheppard High School, Fatima has helped organize events, encourage student engagement, and create opportunities that celebrate culture, strengthen representation, and build a stronger sense of belonging for Black students within the school community. Through her leadership, she hopes to continue creating environments where students feel heard, empowered, and valued. Alongside her school involvement, Fatima is currently serving her second year as VP of Game Day Operations and Tournament Lead Commissioner for all divisions of the Pride of the Northside Basketball Tournament. Through this role, she has played a major part in organizing and running tournament operations while helping create a positive and welcoming environment for athletes, families, and community members. For Fatima, Pride of the Northside represents more than basketball, it is an opportunity to bring people together, support youth involvement, and pour back into the black afro-caribbean community in Edmonton through mentorship, connection, and shared experiences. These experiences alongside many others have strengthened Fatima’s passion for service and leadership and inspired her future goal of pursuing a career in social work. She hopes to continue making a meaningful impact by helping others, advocating for her community, and supporting people through compassion, empathy, and genuine connection. In her free time, Fatima enjoys spending time with friends and family, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures and perspectives while continuing to grow as both a student and a leader.

Meet Denis, he's a kind and caring man who looks out for those in his circle and others who might need a helping hand. He’s a very talented individual in various activities and very much enjoys them, specifically playing soccer, playing piano and cooking. Though being born in Canada, Denis the 16 year old Sierra Leonian, grew up loving his culture and everything about it but wanted to do more in the African community. By joining bsa and volunteering at none profits, he was able to widen his knowledge and greater increase. Denis loves learning about the different cultures and traditions not just in Africa, but all over the world. The diverse clothing, foods and lifestyles are very interesting to him. 

Denis’ commitment lead him to be one of the main leaders in bsa and he sees this as a great opportunity to not just benefit his leadership, but his ability to give and share thoughts to the shep bsa community and any place where he feels would need assistance for any cause. He’s going into his grd 11th year in September and plans on continuing to be the hardworking bsa leader that he’s already shown he is.

Christina Daniel is a hardworking student in her second year of high school. She is apart of numerous clubs and school groups and is co president of her schools BSA. She has started a basketball club at previous school and is the Student Senate at her current school. Christina is actively working toward building a better community wherever she is, including starting numerous food and clothing and food drives to support those in need. She aspires aid her student body and hopes, in her future, to to help those in need.

Growing up in an all-girls household as the third of four sisters played a major role in shaping who Sona Nabe is today. Watching her older sisters take initiative within their community inspired her to value leadership, compassion, and giving back to others. At the same time, seeing her younger sister’s dedication to basketball showed her the importance of discipline, passion, and perseverance. Surrounded by strong female influences, Sona developed strong communication skills and a deep sense of responsibility that continue to guide the way she connects with others and approaches new opportunities.

"My name is Obama, I was born and raised in the Northside of Edmonton, in the neighborhood of castle downs. Both my parents were born in South Sudan and immigrated here in the late 90's. I love staying active, and I do Track and Field and I play soccer as a goalkeeper. I am one of the Co-presidents of Ross Sheppard's BSA and I look forward to pushing this tournament and making a fun and vibrant environment for all attending. This tournament means a lot to me, as community connections are extremely important in shaping relationships and important personality traits as we grow up. Let's all enjoy ourselves at this wonderful event!

Fatoumata “Fatou” Haidara is a Grade 10 student at Ross Sheppard High School with a passion for leadership, sports, and community involvement. Whether through her role as co-president of the Black Students Association, managing the rugby team, or volunteering with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Fatou enjoys creating spaces where people feel supported and connected. As Vice President of the Summer Basketball Club, she hopes to help foster an environment where participants can build confidence, develop friendships, and share a love for the game.

Yasmina Bio

Hello, I'm Yasmina Montinat, and I attend Ross Shepherd High School in grade 10. I played soccer for a while before switching to basketball, which is currently my favorite sport. I've been involved in the sport for four years, and I think it's fantastic. I also have a strong passion for the arts, including acting, singing, and drawing. I adored playing the trombone and drums in both my junior high band. I consider myself to be confident, good at public speaking, and adaptable. 

I have had the privilege to serve as an executive for The Black Student Alliance and as a member of the Muslim Student Association. Being a member of the Student Council Speak Up club at Ross Shep is also one of my greatest achievements. Prior to that, Multicultural Day was held at Ross Shep High School, and I had the  pleasure to serve as its MC. The event was truly amazing. Additionally, I took a leadership course that taught me a variety of skills, including public speaking, teamwork, and communication. In addition, I regularly participate in volunteer work both in my neighborhood and in other communities outside of school. I learn new things because I'm exposed to a variety of things, and I think that's important. 

Born and Raised in Canada, Marwa Sulub was born in Edmonton alongside her twin sister Safa, and spent the first 6 years in Winnipeg.

Marwa grew up in a Somali house with both her parents being from Somaliland.  Marwa has been forever grateful for the opportunities that Ross Shep and her BSA had to offer since grade 10. With starting the 12th grade this September, she is excited for what this year’s tournament has to share, especially the connections and community that the Londonderry court has to present. Marwa is open to gaining amazing friendship during her time at Pride of the Northside. Staff announcement #4 introducing Marwa, our newest VP of the @prideofthenorthtourney Junior High Division. Marwa has been a part of @shep.bsa24 since Grade 10, and next year in her Senior year of academics she will again serve a vital role with the BSA! She's very thankful to work with her classmates and to serve the Londonderry community August 16/17, one of her greatest qualities as expressed by her fellow BSA members, is her humility. Marwa has volunteered for every single BSA event during the 2024/2025 school year, and has humbly given our her team plenty of support in both semesters of the school year. Always willing to serve behind the scenes, communicating with all members of the community, centering equality, fairness, empathy & understanding she is the embodiment of true volunteerism. Last year Marwa served as our operations manager for the tourney as well as team lead at our information and scheduling booth, this year she embarks on a new journey, and we are all here for it! 

As a 10th grade student at Ross Sheppard High School, Khady Dieng is committed to making sure everyone's voices are heard and speaking up for those who are unable to speak for themselves. She enjoys giving back to the community in numerous ways such as mentoring elementary school students through the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, donating items to her local donation centres, helping with fundraising events in her community, etc. As a Vice President of the Pride of the Northside Basketball Tournament, she looks forward to making new connections and lifelong memories through this event.

My name is Rahel Mola and I am a 15 year old born and raised in Edmonton, AB. With my habesha background, I grew up surrounded by community and family all throughout my life. Church, school, and holidays were always moments of connections with one another which I absolutely cherished then, and still now. Through acts of service, not only to my community but to various others. Like being a respite aide, teaching at HT-SACA, and serving as a leader to young children through babysitting. Despite all of these responsibilities, I still find time to accomplish my hobbies such as track and field, drawing, piano, cooking, and school clubs. Through my involvement in the BSA at M.E Lazerte, I significantly developed my networking and confidence abilities by being a part of many events that advocate black youth and students to create a community amongst each other. Still, with everything going on, I participate and care greatly towards my studies. I am currently in a mentoring program through the University of Calgary for Black Students here in Edmonton, and across Canada, where we are assigned prestigious assignments which can open doors for post-secondary. I am also a part of the I.B programme here at Lazerte, which was such an amazing experience to have in my first year of high school. With all these things, I hope to serve substantially to this tournament and to be a helping hand!