Alumni Profile

Abena’s Adventures: A Taste of Home

With “Abena’s Adventures,” Blessing Owusu (BEd ’19, MEd ’24) embarked on a journey that blended her passion for education with a mission to fill a crucial gap in children’s literature.

Alumni Spotlight: Kate Haiyun Mossop (MLCE ’21)

Kate Haiyun Mossop (MLCE ’21) is a community builder with a lifelong passion for strengthening communities and helping people overcome barriers. It was this passion that guided her to York University. “My earliest memories include a variety of community experiences,” says Kate. “From wrapping donated medical supplies that my mother shipped to Vietnam, to fundraising […]

Alumnus Collette Murray recognized by the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) for Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The National Dance Education Organization (NDEO) announced the recipients of the 2023 National Awards, a celebration of their exceptional contributions in the field of dance education. The winners were selected from a 2-part application and nomination process conducted by the NDEO Awards Committee. Collette Murray (MEd ‘ ), was among the remarkable group of 20 […]

Introducing Marcela Duran: A Journey of Poetic Justice and Educational Impact

The Faculty of Education proudly presents Marcela Duran, an exceptional alumna whose educational journey embodies the essence of perseverance, passion, and commitment. Her recent attainment of a PhD from York University’s esteemed Faculty of Education is not just a personal triumph but a shining testament to her unyielding dedication to lifelong learning and her profound […]

Hope in a Bag

On a family trip to Colombia in 2019, Aline Nalbandian (BA/BEd ’99) visited a rural marketplace in the north of the country, where she spied a stall overflowing with colourful, handwoven totes. She drew closer, attracted by a bag of jungle-green and parrot-blue called a mochila. Speaking through a translator, she learned that the bags are made by the Wayuu, an Indigenous matrilineal society whose weaving traditions have been passed down from woman to woman for generations.

Culture and identity inform alumna Vicky Talwar’s artistic practice

Culture and identity have always been focal drivers of Vicky Talwar’s (BEd ’05) artistic practice. Born and raised in Canada, she moved to New Delhi, India with her parents at 13. Having then acclimated to a new school system and a new life, Talwar then moved back to Canada with her family at 19.

Alumni Spotlight: Laura Mae Lindo (PhD ’05)

Laura Mae Lindo was shocked to see the amount of Antisemitism and Anti-Black racism permeating campus when she first became Director of Diversity at Laurier University in 2012. Quickly, she found herself representing the school in media interviews.

Lessons from a former Superintendent with the TDSB

In his time as Superintendent with the TDSB, Duffus chiefly served students, communities and schools within the Jane and Finch corridor. A central part of his role focused on serving as system lead for equity and inclusion, which involved asking what teachers should be doing as a system to support underserved students to change their trajectories from underachievement to achievement.

Alumni Profile: Dr. Opiyo Oloya (PhD ’11)

Alumnus Dr. Opiyo Oloya (PhD ’11) settles in as Associate VP Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Western University