Following an abrupt resignation just ahead of Orientation season, the AMS has appointed its second Orientation Roundtable (ORT) Director this year.
As the University and the AMS prepare for the arrival of the Class of 2029, the AMS ORT welcomes its new Director, Jonathan (Johnny) Shenouda, who brings previous experiences in orientation along with strong focus on equity, accessibility and student engagement—traits he believes make him well suited for the role.
Shenouda steps into the role after the recent resignation of Ali Haider, HealthSci ‘26, who announced on LinkedIn on June 8 that he would be starting his Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine, signalling his resignation.
READ MORE: Two ORT directors resign ahead of the arrival of 5300 incoming students
A recent graduate of Queen’s Bachelor of Health Sciences program and a soon-to-be dual certificate student in business and law, Shenouda, is no stranger to campus life—or orientation. His journey started during the pandemic with a hybrid orientation experience he describes as less than ideal. Determined to improve the student experience, he returned the following year as a head COAT and then systems and support director, helping shape the still-developing Health Sciences orientation.
“Orientation is the ability, first of all, to socialize,” Shenouda said in an interview with The Journal. “It’s also the biggest chance we get to meet and learn about different perspectives from across the world, whether they be international students, across different faculties, there is so much we don’t know.”
“No orientation is perfect, and this is the chance that we probably get to integrate [The student body with the AMS]. So why am I coming back to ORT, one for
my personal growth, and two, to continue building those strong relationships with people and understanding the communities that we’re [AMS] serving,” Shenouda added.
While Shenouda stepped into the coordinator role mid-cycle, he emphasized the importance of institutional knowledge, communication, and trust within the orientation team. Working alongside Haider during the transition has strengthened the team, Shenouda says, as faculty members now have two directors supporting them through orientation instead of one.
“So, we’re both in the know of everything that kind of goes on, me and him are essentially one person together in this,” Shenouda said.
Looking ahead, Shenouda shared his excitement around the new orientation that he didn’t share as they’re currently pending university approval, but promises that more will be said on this in the coming weeks.
For incoming students, Shenouda had one message: “Queen’s University is ready for you, and we’re going to have a good time.”
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ORT, ORT Director, resignation
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George Ghabour
Very much proud of you Jonny. Keep up the outstanding work and services to Queens University new additions.
God bless you.