Ashley Hill
She is the Founder and Executive Director of The PREP Academy, a registered charity serving over 400 African Nova Scotian youth per year, inspiring and preparing them to pursue college, university and apprenticeship. With over 10 years of combined experience working in corporate and non-profit industries, she has led strategy, fundraising, donor engagement, community outreach, student engagement, and program development - most importantly she leads her team with integrity and heart. Ashley is a CBC Black Changemaker and YMCA Peace Medal Recipient and identified as a New Founder to Watch by the Future of Good. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Boys & Girls Club of Preston, the YMCA of Greater Halifax and Dartmouth, the Saint Thomas Baptist Church Education Committee and participates on the African Nova Scotian Pathways Program Advisory Council for Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Engineering. Above all, she is a wife and sister.
What has she been up to since her last feature?
Since my last nomination in 2020 I was BG 10! I am most proud of founding and building The PREP Academy. What began as a vision in 2021 has grown into a registered charity now serving over 400 African Nova Scotian youth each year. We are not just offering programming, we are shifting trajectories. PREP exists to ensure our young people see post-secondary education, skilled trades and entrepreneurship as accessible and attainable pathways, and we intentionally surround them with mentorship, exposure and support to get there. I am especially proud that PREP has created meaningful employment and leadership opportunities for over 15 staff members. Building an organization that both serves youth and creates livelihoods within our community feels deeply aligned with the legacy I come from. Most importantly, I am proud that we are doing this work with integrity, heart and community at the centre. Watching students gain confidence, step onto university campuses for the first time, secure scholarships, enter apprenticeships and begin to believe in their own potential, that is the true measure of impact for me. The growth since 2020 represents more than professional advancement. It represents vision, faith, community partnership and a commitment to building sustainable pathways for African Nova Scotian youth.
