Director and Founder

Hi! My name is Nicola Martis. I am the founder of AHLI which was birthed through a vision of breaking boundaries and creating a system of education that would build bridges and help children and youth come out of poverty through education. The pillars of AHLI rest upon the teachings of wisdom, integrity, truthfulness, honesty, humility, and care. The mission of AHLI is to embrace every child and youth in this world and build their empowerment and leadership qualities for their present and future calling and purpose in their life.

The philosophy of AHLI is to create a learning community that fosters equality among all children, youth, teachers, and administrators regardless of their economic status or social standing. AHLI believes in the balance of equality and equity and it is for this reason, that tuition rates will always be subsidized, and excellence in education will always be pursued. I have been in the education field for over 18 years. I started my career as a teacher, then I became a special education coordinator, principal, and director of education.

Most of my experience working with children and youth has been within the Indigenous communities. Working on fly-in reserves and in the Northern communities of Manitoba and Ontario was my calling and purpose, and I followed where God led me. Today, being led by another calling and purpose, I have been blessed and favored to open a non-profit charity school that builds bridges and crosses boundaries across the globe.

Director

My name is Lam Thieu, from Vietnam. My journey in international education has taken me across the globe, immersing me in diverse cultures and educational systems. After successfully completing my Bachelor of Chemistry degree at the Hanoi University of Science (Vietnam National University) in 2009, I received the POSCO Asia Leader fellowship to pursue a Master of Chemistry at Pohang University of Science and Technology (Korea) from 2010 to 2012. Subsequently, I was awarded a prestigious scholarship by the Vietnam Education Foundation (VEF) to undertake a Ph.D. program in Macromolecular Science and Engineering at Virginia Tech, from 2013 to 2017. In 2018, I made the decision to relocate to Canada to further my knowledge in entrepreneurship by taking another Master’s Degree in Entrepreneurship from Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan University). Since 2019, I have been actively engaged as an educator and entrepreneur in Canada.

During my enriching experiences in Korea, the United States, and Canada, I have had the opportunity to witness firsthand the transformative power of education and the boundless opportunities it can offer. I am immensely grateful for the fortuity to have received a high-quality education from dedicated instructors, which has played a pivotal role in shaping the position I hold today. However, I am acutely aware of the talented individuals who lack access to such educational opportunities. These experiences have compelled me to take action in bridging educational disparities and ensuring equitable access to quality education for all individuals.

Director

Paul pursued studies in healthcare which led to graduating from the nursing program at George Brown College, followed by a BScN at Ryerson University, and finally completing an MScN (master’s in nursing) nurse practitioner designation at Laurentian University. Paul’s career spans 18 years in healthcare; from working at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital in post-cardiac surgery to nursing in remote northern Manitoba to various nurse practitioner positions in rural Manitoba, Winnipeg, and Kenora in northwestern Ontario.

Paul is known to be a perpetual student, always pursuing additional education to further his knowledge and invariably to the benefit of the minds of tomorrow, our youth. Now, Paul wishes to take on new challenges by helping empower the people of tomorrow by doing his part in the field of youth education.

He enjoys travel, exercise, alternative and complementary health, and wellness practices. He has a daily practice of meditation and tai chi. Paul’s personal mission statement: To live my best healthy conscious self and empower others to do the same, especially the youth of tomorrow.