Outstanding student leaders were honoured and celebrated recently at Glendon, including fourth-year political science and sociology student Amanda Sartori, who won the Friends of Glendon Award for Student Service, and education student Bethany Deshpande, who won the Student Services Award for Leadership Excellence. Both took home $1,000 along with their awards.
Sartori was recognized for her long-standing involvement with the Glendon College Student Union (GCSU) as director of clubs & services, a councillor, a GCSU representative on Faculty Council and a volunteer at the Glendon Women & Trans Centre. As president of the GCSU this year, Sartori was praised for her remarkable achievements and a significant change for the better in the student union’s functioning.
Right: From left, student award winners Bethany Deshpande, Oscar Mera-Burbano, Andrée Paulin, Nadia Ouellet and Amanda Sartori
Deshpande was singled out for her leadership roles as general manager of the Glendon Musical Ensemble (GME), ecological awareness coordinator for the Lunik Café project, a GCSU representative on Faculty Council, a participant in Theatre Glendon and a residence don. She was praised for her focus on process improvement in the GME, her service above and beyond requirements as a residence don, and for the overall depth of her involvements.
Rosanna Furgiuele, associate principal of Student Services, praised the numerous achievements of Glendon’s student organizations and improvements in residence life this year. She defined a student leader as "someone who can bring out the best in others…who leads by example and knows how to encourage, motivate and inspire. A leader is also a team player who knows how to work well with others, who can bring people together for a common cause and who knows how to build community.” She also noted that student leaders create and participate in student clubs and organizations not only as a means of personal growth, but also as an important contribution to the quality of student life.
The New Leader Awards of $250 apiece went to Oscar Mera-Burbano and Lisa Alleyne for their many activities with the GCSU and their inspiring, unmatched dedication to student activities.
Left: Student Simone Samuels
Nadia Ouellet, Andrée Paulin and Simone Samuels were each presented with Outstanding Contribution Awards and a $250 prize. Ouellet was noted for her positive influence on students as an integral leader in the Glendon community. Paulin, a dedicated leader since her first year at Glendon, was recognized for her significant involvement and countless hours spent working for student organizations. Samuels was honoured as a person with “outstanding work ethic, initiative, and a friendly, personable manner.” She was instrumental in launching a chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society this year at York, recognizing top academic achievers (see YFile, March 25).
Although Student Service Awards have been in existence at Glendon since 2001, this is the first year that they were presented under the new "leadership" category with a significantly enlarged scope. “We were inspired by Glendon students to expand the range and vision of the awards to continue to encourage service to students, but also to recognize the many examples of leadership in this community,” said Aaron Doupe, manager of student affairs. “We are also grateful to the Friends of Glendon (FOG) who partnered with Student Services in this expanded vision. Together, we are able to recognize more leaders than before and to highlight leadership in residence, where students make contributions to this unique community. Another goal was to support developing leaders and encourage the potential for engagement in the student community.”
Another eight nominees received a Glendon diploma frame in recognition of their contributions to student life – Marfo Bonsu, Joyce Chan, Christelle Chartier, Julien Cossette, Darnel Harris, Milos Jankovic, Renée Khargie and Gabrielle Fortin-Villeneuve.
For more information about the student award nominees, click here, or about achievements made by student organizations at Glendon, click here.
Submitted by Marika Kemeny, Glendon communications officer