The Schulich Ambassador Program out of the Schulich School of Business just keeps getting better. That was evident recently when students were recognized for their volunteer contributions for the 2011-2012 academic year.
The Schulich Ambassador Program, which during the 2010-2011 year broke the previous record, reached new heights during the 2011-2012 year thanks to the dedication of more than 750 
undergraduate students. The students, who contributed to community action, volunteered more than 21,000 hours of their time – an all-new record. The ambassadors showcased their Schulich spirit and York pride in community activism on and off-campus.
Alac Kim
One student, Alac Kim, iBBA class of 2014, was selected as the top ambassador and awarded a merit scholarship based on participation, overall academic performance and outstanding recognition by other University Faculties, departments and service units.
Kim has been an ambassador since 2010, when he began his studies at Schulich. Currently the internal director of the Undergraduate Business Council, he has consistently volunteered his time to enhancing the student experience. This past year, he spearheaded the creation of a new tutoring service for Schulich students – Schumon, launched SCHUBE (Schulich Book Exchange) – and developed other initiatives as part of the Undergraduate Strategy Committee. In addition to this, Kim has participated in the Ontario Universities Fair, Fall Campus Day, and many other events. Whether working on new services to enhance the student experience for current Schulich students or taking time to meet and answer the questions of future “Schulich-ers”, Kim is a role model to his peers in all he does.
Above: The ambassadors from the Schulich Ambassador Program
In addition to the Top Ambassador Award, four awards for Best in Class were announced, along with 200 Participation Certificates for completing more than 40 hours of community action and 100 Leadership Certificates for completing more than 80 hours in one year.
The Top Ambassadors – Best in Class recipients for 2012 were:
- Class of 2012 – Paul Warchuk, BBA
- Class of 2013 – Maria Valela, BBA
- Class of 2014 – Zahra Kassam, BBA
- Class of 2014 – Dmitry Kutsyy, BBA
The 2012-2013 Schulich Ambassador team has already participated in its share of activities in the community. Program Coordinator Lily Piccone has been working with ambassadors since 2008, and has seen the number of students participating in the program grow from 300 to 750. “Their passion and dedication to our University is an inspiration to current and future York students. Our students are choosing to be ambassadors because they are looking for opportunities that will develop them into professionals, inside and outside of the classroom, and this program provides them with these needed opportunities,” she says.
Launched in September 2007, the goal of the Schulich Ambassador Program is to provide an opportunity for all current Schulich students to develop into charismatic leaders who are passionate citizens, excellent communicators and outstanding role models. Schulich Ambassadors are full-time students contribute to York and to the wider community in many ways, from participation in student government and clubs to community outreach and leadership conferences to recruitment and career events.
In 2012-2013, the ambassador was expanded to include the Schulich Ambassador task force. The goal of the task force is to focus on the professional and personal development needs of Schulich students while fostering student experience and academic success. Twenty senior ambassadors were selected by Piccone for this team, including Alac Kim, Top Ambassador 2011-2012, and Maria Valela, Best in Class Ambassador for the class of 2013.