Alumni Spotlight

Alumni Spotlight: Farzia Khan (BA ’17)

As the first female in her family to graduate with a STEM degree, Farzia Khan (BA ’17) is very passionate about giving back to her community and has a commitment to the greater good both locally and internationally. As an award-winning community builder, technologist, and entrepreneur, Farzia studied computer science at York’s Lassonde School of Engineering. After visiting and “absolutely falling in love with the campus,” she was also drawn to Lassonde because of its forward-thinking vision—one she […]

Alumni Spotlight: Christine Edith Dikongué (BA ’14)

Christine Edith Dikongué (BA ’14) is a start-up founder, innovation consultant, technocrat, global speaker and board member whose work has created 40 new start-ups in Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana and Kenya. She is also one of the youngest members of the board of directors at the United Nations Association in Canada. And she’s just getting started.

Alumni Spotlight: Miranda Baksh (BES ’17, MES ’19)

Miranda Baksh (BES ’17, MES ’19) is an environmental educator, public speaker, and climate action catalyst. She is Chief Executive Officer of The Community Climate Council, which she co-founded. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Environmental Studies where she researched the intersections between biodiversity conservation and digital science communication.

Alumni Spotlight: Shant Joshi (BFA ’17)

For Shant Joshi (BFA ’17), the decision to study at York University was a strategic one.

Alumni Spotlight: Krystal Abotossaway (BHRM ’13)

For York alumna Krystal Abotossaway (BHRM ’13), arriving on York’s busy, sprawling campus was overwhelming; but an unexpected invitation helped her feel at ease and introduced her to a community that would become a central part of her university experience.

Alumni Spotlight: Anabel Maldonado (BA ’11)

Anabel Maldonado (BA ’11) is a London-based fashion journalist and entrepreneur. After a decade in the fashion industry, she founded PSYKHE, a fashion e-commerce recommendation site powered by a combination of AI and psychology. We caught up with Anabel to learn more about how she seeks to revolutionize how we shop and get dressed. Do […]

Alumni Spotlight: Racheal Awe (BA ’03, MBA ’17)

Racheal Awe (BA ’03, MBA ’17) has two young children and is chief of staff to the CEO at Canadian Tire Corporation, one of Canada’s largest retailers. She’s a high-achieving, high-performing leader, mother and mentor with a “failure is not an option” attitude. Racheal was born in Canada, raised in Nigeria then returned to Canada […]

Alumni Spotlight: Asare Kester-Akrofi (MPPAL ’20)

Completing a degree while working full-time is no small feat, now imagine doing it during a global pandemic. Asare Kester-Akrofi (MPPAL ’20) is a recent graduate of York’s Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) program, working full time in public service and is an active community volunteer.

Exploring the future of Blackness

When Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu (BA ’10) was hired in January 2020 to take the helm of Toronto’s Obsidian Theatre as its new artistic director, she had no idea how much the world would change by the time she started the job in July.

Alumni Spotlight: Sarah Embaye (BSW ’16, MMgt ’17)

After completing two degrees from York, Sarah Embaye’s early career success took her to Los Angeles to work at a Black led startup before returning to Toronto where she now works as a partnerships coordinator at MLSE LaunchPad.