TORONTO, June 30, 1997 -- York University is pleased to recognize the commitment to scholarship and social justice demonstrated by two of its recent entrance award winners.

Shelley Langstaff, a graduate of Oshawa Central Collegiate Institute and winner of York University's Proctor Scholarship, left high school at 14 and returned as a 24-year-old mother of two.

Langstaff, who said she was often mistaken for the substitute teacher, graduated with a 95.8 per cent average. After applying to York University for a double degree in mass communications and sociology, she earned admission and the prestigious Proctor Scholarship, worth $7,800 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study.

"Education is the key for women who find themselves trapped in the cycle of poverty," said Langstaff, who hopes to make documentary films one day. She said her two sons are proud of her, and she hopes they will realize the importance of education.

The Proctor is awarded in recognition of high academic standing and community service or achievement in the arts or sports. Langstaff, who won the award over 249 other applicants, is a member of the Durham Coalition for Social Justice and a member of the Bread and Roses, Jobs and Justice Committee of Durham Region. She also volunteered as a member of her high school's Education/Outreach Subcommittee and helped organize an OAC Social Philosophy Club.

Erin Thoms, a graduate of Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, is the winner of the Bryden Scholarship, also worth $7,800 per year for up to four years of undergraduate study. Thoms will be studying international relations at Glendon College in September.

Thoms was one of the founders of her school's anti-racism/cross cultural understanding group, called No Borders Here. The group, which started with five students, now has 20.

"It's the first of its kind in the Lincoln County Board of Education," said Thoms, adding that getting it off the ground wasn't easy. She said that students faced opposition from both parents and teachers who feared the group would stir up racial and ethnic animosity.

"So we had to appeal to the school board. We started out as a multicultural club with dinners, assemblies and poster campaigns and became a learning group about different religions and ethnicities... We try to speak with younger children at elementary schools and raise issues that affect students. The school board is proud of us now."

Thoms' commitment isn't confined to her community, or even to Canada. Last February, she travelled to Guyana to work for 10 weeks as a volunteer with Youth Challenge International. She spent three weeks in a rainforest cutting trails, another six in the Moruca region conducting vision tests for Surgical Eye Expeditions International and comforting patients. She continues to volunteer for the organization.

"In the last week we helped the doctors perform 40 cataract surgeries. We prepared the patients, did postoperative eye care and went into the operating room with them to provide comfort because they're awake during the surgery," she said.

Thoms, a long-time participant in her high school's Leader-in-Training program, is considering a career in diplomacy.

York University, the third largest university in Canada, is nationally and internationally respected for its innovative research and teaching. With its combination of dedicated and talented faculty, bright and ambitious students, dynamic curriculum and modern campus in the heart of one of North America's most influential urban centres, York University is setting the modern standard in academic excellence.

Director of Admissions, Thomas Meininger, said Langstaff and Thoms "are perfect examples of the kind of committed and academically accomplished students that York University attracts. They are great additions to the York community."

For more information, please contact:

Sine MacKinnon
Senior Advisor for Media Relations
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22087

Alison Masemann
Media Relations Officer
York University
(416) 736-2100, ext. 22086
YU/061/97