茄子直播

Arbor Awards celebrate 茄子直播 spirit of volunteering

Arbor past and present recipients watch the ceremony
All photos by Romi Levine

On the first Tuesday of every month for more than half a decade, Graham White got up bright and early to make it to Hart House for 8 a.m. so he could chair the centre鈥檚 finance committee alongside a group of students.

The 茄子直播 Mississauga Professor Emeritus didn鈥檛 get paid to do what he did, and that was fine by him.

鈥淭here鈥檚 all kinds of things we do for which we鈥檙e not paid but it鈥檚 really part of being part of the profession and part of the university,鈥 he says. 鈥淓veryone 鈥 faculty, students and staff get so much out of the place, it鈥檚 only reasonable to give something back.鈥

White鈥檚 philosophy can be applied to the thousands of people who volunteer within the 茄子直播 community. 

They share 鈥渁 real passion and desire to make a difference in the lives of others,鈥 says Barbara Dick, 茄子直播鈥檚 assistant vice president, alumni relations. 

And while most volunteers prefer to do their work behind the scenes, there鈥檚 one night a year where they get to be in the spotlight 鈥 the .

Since 1989, the annual awards have celebrated students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members for their exceptional volunteer work.   

Volunteers can be nominated through colleges, faculties and departments. 

This year鈥檚 event took place on September 15 at President Meric Gertler鈥檚 residence, with 102 volunteers receiving awards. 

鈥溓炎又辈 stands as one of Canada鈥檚 most accessible, diverse and excellent institutions in no small measure because of our alumni volunteers,鈥 President Gertler told the crowd of current and past recipients and their guests. 

茄子直播 News spoke with some of this year鈥檚 award winners about the value of volunteering.


Brenda Stade, 茄子直播 alumna and nurse practitioner at St. Michael's Hospital

Stade spent a decade instructing 茄子直播 nursing students, specifically in the community nursing aboriginal stream, taking care of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.

鈥淭he students I got were wonderful. They were so compassionate. I had some at the end (of the term) start crying, saying 鈥業 never realized how hard it was for some people in life.鈥 They were always so touching and I always learned a lot from them,鈥 she says.

鈥淵ou get to experience other people鈥檚 perspective of the world and I think that鈥檚 the most valuable thing in life, because you can鈥檛 do it all so you see it through other people鈥檚 eyes,鈥 says Stade. 


Safiya Muharuma, class of 2004

Muharuma is an assistant coach of the Varsity women鈥檚 hockey team. She regularly organizes alumni events that help support the current team, keeping them connected with current players.

鈥淵ou wonder 鈥榳hat brought me here, why is it so important to me and how am I going to ensure the next group has that same feeling,鈥欌 she says. 鈥淯niversity of Toronto, Varsity Athletics and physical education as well, they do a really good job of doing that and they instil that in everyone else and the next generation of kids that live in Toronto.鈥


Lynda Macdonald, city planner

Macdonald has been a mentor for Innis College urban studies interns for over a decade, showing them what it鈥檚 really like to work as a planner. She says the internship is mutually beneficial for planners and students. 

鈥淚t鈥檚 a two-way street. It鈥檚 great for the city because students bring a different perspective and a different energy which is really important because we鈥檙e really planning for them. They鈥檒l be the ones living in the cities we鈥檙e building,鈥 she says. 鈥淔or them, it鈥檚 an opportunity to look at what it would be like to actually be working in the profession and see what the day-to-day work is like.鈥


Larry Wayne Richards, Professor Emeritus and former dean of the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape, and Design

Richards is the author of a comprehensive campus guidebook on heritage buildings and architecture on the three 茄子直播 campuses. He also mentors interns and promotes the university and his faculty to the wider community. 

鈥淲e can all influence 50 other people and share all the good news that comes to of the university. Unlike the Ivy League schools, it鈥檚 not as rich. So a lot of what the university can accomplish depends on the initiative of the alums and former faculty like myself. We all have to pitch in and keep things moving in the right direction,鈥 says Richards. 


Rebecca Friedman, class of 2013

While she was completing her Master's of Science in applied computing, Friedman participated in the alumni student mentorship program so when she graduated, she felt it was only natural to return the favour. 

鈥淢y mentor was amazing. She actually got an Arbor award for all of her work. It inspired me. She was so helpful and gave such good career advice and such good life advice,鈥 she says. 

Friedman has been a mentor for three years and attends events that help students transition into the workforce. 

鈥淲hen I was a new grad and looking at my first job, I didn鈥檛 really understand the industry and didn鈥檛 know what to expect. A lot of the time, students need someone to tell them 鈥榯his is what it鈥檚 like in the workplace,鈥 and then they鈥檒l feel so much better and be so much calmer,鈥 she says.


Faran Umar-Khitab, class of 2004

Umar-Khitab has been volunteering with the undergrad program for the past nine years, as a mentor to third-year and fourth-year students.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great to see young minds as they embark on their careers and it鈥檚 great to give some practical advice on what the world holds and what the brochures for law school and legal career don鈥檛 tell you,鈥 he says.

 

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