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Alumni Profiles

Glendon alumna dedicates career to equitable health care

La version française suit la version anglaise. When it was time for Carol Cowan-Levine C.M. (BA ’67) to choose where to study, enrolling at Glendon College felt natural. Drawn to the smaller campus and sense of security, it was this supportive environment that became the foundation for a dedicated career in giving back and creating meaningful change.    […]

Theatre alumna earns recognition for Black-led storytelling 

Growing up, Asha James (BFA ’18) always had a deep interest in the arts, but it wasn’t until she joined musicals in high school that she would discover that the stage was where she felt most at home. As Asha entered the acting industry, she was determined to find stories and cast members that reflected her community. It was this desire that would lead her to land a role in Obsidian Theatre’s FLEX, a project that would shape her career.  “I […]

Alumna opens doors for Black girls and young women 

As a Black youth coming to Canada from Zimbabwe, Tapo Chimbganda (PhD ’17) had a difficult time adjusting to a new country. She felt isolated and saw first-hand many of the barriers that young Black women face. It was this early experience that inspired her to start Future Black Female, an organization that seeks to guide and empower Black girls and young women to achieve […]

Award-winning alumna challenges systemic barriers

Desaraé Dee (BFA ’12) is a Canadian fusion artist, pianist, composer, producer, and educator whose work centres on instrumental and genre-blending music that explores emotion, spirituality, and storytelling. Like many alumni, Desaraé’s career path was not a straightforward one, and she credits ¿ì²¥ÊÓÆµ as a key influence in becoming the successful, award-winning instrumentalist she […]

York alumna builds recipe for success

Many alumni discover their talents in the classroom. Others find it through career paths. For chef, cookbook author, filmmaker and television personality Valerie Azinge (BA ’12), it was a personal health journey that would reveal her gift for the culinary arts. What started as a fun way to share her fitness recipes, transformed into a […]

Building a community of mental health support 

After dealing with his own personal battle with depression, Jason Balgopal (JD, LLB ’97) saw the importance of a support group to help combat a challenge that many deal with in isolation. To address this crucial need, Jason started the Mental Wellness Peer Support Group, a weekly peer-to-peer support group for those who face similar […]

Environmental and public health leader recognized for advancing clean air policies and tobacco control 

Michael Perley (BA ’70) is an environmental and public health advocate whose exceptional leadership has earned him one of Canada’s highest honors, the Order of Canada. He’s being recognized for his transformative work on tobacco control, creating smoke-free spaces and influencing significant legislative changes on acid rain emissions and air pollution in Canada and the […]

Alumni Spotlight: Irene Jeremic (LLM ‘11)

Since graduating from Simon Fraser University (B.Sc.), Jeremic’s career path has been nothing short of remarkable. As an executive at SFU’s spin-off company, eLearning Solutions, she unleashed her passion and displayed a knack for global commerce. As the eLearning Solutions’ VP Business and Customer Relations, Irene was responsible for managing of the development of an […]

Former minister dedicates career to advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ legislation 

Reverend Doctor Cheri DiNovo C.M. (BA ’94) is a queer activist, author and former minister and politician recognized for her transformative leadership in advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and legislation. While her passion for activism began in her late teens, it was during her time as a student at ¿ì²¥ÊÓÆµ that she would make her first […]

Indigenous filmmaker and advocate finds inspiration at York

Lisa Jackson (MFA ’19) is an Anishinaabe (Aamjiwnaang First Nation) award-winning filmmaker who has written, directed and produced films, television and multimedia projects, from a dome film to VR and IMAX. Partway through her film career, she decided to pursue a master’s degree and studied in York’s MFA in Film program. “I was at a […]