Building Brilliance Starts With Us

Cheryl Henhoeffer

Director, Founder, Principal Tutor

Cheryl Henhoeffer is originally from Halifax, NS. Born to an African Nova Scotian father and a French/Mi’kmaw mother. She received a French education, graduating from Saint Mary’s University with a major in French. During this time Cheryl was program coordinator of the Community YMCA centrally located in the African Nova Scotian community. She created and ran a Volunteer Synchronized Swimming Program targeting Black girls and youth focusing on swimming skills. She went on to become the Dr. Martin Luther King Scholarship recipient from St Francis Xavier University where she did her B.Ed. with concentration in French. Cheryl received a permanent teaching certificate from Calgary where she taught from 2004 to 2011. In 2011, she moved to the KW area and has taught in the WRDSB until present. She currently coordinates school based Equity clubs and helps to coordinate a variety of Culturally focused initiatives such as the ACBi affinity group in the WRDSB.

Sheena Alliniece

Principal Tutor

Sheena Alliniece is an Educational Assistant for the Waterloo Region District School Board. She has been a paraprofessional EA for 4 years and has had the pleasure of working with students of all ages and backgrounds. In addition to working as an EA she is also a Strong Start trained coach and tutor. Sheena has been a tutor for over 12 years and she loves to help students grasp difficult concepts in a fun and approachable way. Sheena’s philosophy is centered around creating a positive and engaging learning environment, where students feel comfortable asking questions and challenging themselves to learn new things. She believes that everyone has a unique learning style, and her goal as a tutor is to help students achieve their academic goals and develop a love for learning that will last a lifetime.

Maryama Ali

Principal Tutor

Maryama Ali is a current math and science teacher for the WRDSB. She graduated in 2023 with her bachelor of education in the junior-intermediate division. Before becoming a teacher, she spent many years as a tutor for non profit and private companies such as Mathnasium Learning center and Carizon’s Pathways to Education. Maryama is passionate about fostering confidence in each student regarding their ability to continue studying math and science. She believes that each student is capable of much more than they allow themselves to be and the transformative power of individual/small group instruction gives children the necessary space and time to hone their skills with educator guidance.

Brian Bernard

Director, Digital Experience

Brian Bernard is a professor in Conestoga College’s School of Applied Computer Science and Information Technology, and is a senior leader that has worked in the technology space for over twenty-five years, with focus in Mobile Device Management, Networking and Cybersecurity. Born and raised in Waterloo Region, he has extensive experience working with a variety of learners, from young children to corporate teams and the decision-makers at Fortune 500 companies. As a husband and father with five daughters of colour, he has been a strong advocate for gender equality, community empowerment and social justice, and often serves others through his expertise in a wide range of business and technology domains. Brian's function on the Building Brilliance board is to support its programs by procuring the technology needed for its services, creating artwork for events and tutoring sessions, managing the Building Brilliance website, helping with the initiative’s social media presence and campaigns, liaising with partners and to regularly participate in strategic planning.

Justice Daye-Fraser

Volunteer Tutor

Justice Daye-Fraser is a Volunteer Tutor at Building Brilliance. She is a student at Wilfrid Laurier University and a WRDSB OT.