YUAB Archives - Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends

Charmaine Courtis

mj112 — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 15:18:58 +0000

Charmaine started her career at York immediately in the Central Admissions office. Her first office was a closet in the basement of Steacie Science Library! In 1973 she was hired at the Faculty of Administrative Studies as the Admissions Officer. Over the next 40+ years she had several roles in Student Affairs and Student Services. The culmination of this experience led to her role as Executive Director of Student Services and International Relations for the Schulich School of Business (renamed in 1995 from Administrative Studies). As a senior member of the Dean’s management team, she traveled extensively both on behalf of the school and the university to build a large international exchange network for Schulich and finally to help in the development and launch of the India MBA program. This program was launched in 2010 in Mumbai, and three years later it was moved to Hyderabad to a permanent space.

Charmaine retired in September of 2014 and set herself up to do some independent consulting and advising for people looking for the appropriate schools internationally, and she continued to do that for another year.

Charmaine has served on the �첥��Ƶ Retiree's Association (YURA) Executive Committee for seven years, six of which she was the Co-President, Non-Academic. She says it has been a great pleasure to serve on the Executive Committee and she will continue as to do so as the Immediate Past President, ex-officio. Charmaine has been a regular volunteer in the YURA office, has coordinated YURA membership processing, and has been the impetus for endowing YURA's three graduate student awards.

The post Charmaine Courtis appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.

�첥��Ƶ Alumni Board recognizes four students for academic excellence and leadership

pross4 — Wed, 30 Jul 2025 14:52:38 +0000

The �첥��Ƶ Alumni Board has announced the recipients of the 2025 Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship, Alumni Golden GRADitude award and the Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship.

Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship

Shon Lazarev

The Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship is presented to a student who exemplifies excellence in academics, leadership and community impact. This year’s recipient, Shon Lazarev (BS ’25), is recognized for his outstanding academic record, dedication to student advocacy and far-reaching contributions to the York community and Canada’s broader healthcare and chess landscapes.

A competitive chess player and president of ChessBlitz YorkU, Shon revitalized the club through inclusive programming and community-building. He also led the Thornhill Chess Club through the pandemic, organizing over 40 online tournaments and maintaining engagement across Canada’s chess scene.

Shon’s passion for health and science is reflected in his NSERC-funded neuroscience research and volunteer work at Mackenzie Health Hospital. He has supported student success as a Bethune College peer tutor, academic advisor and class representative coordinator.

A strong advocate for student voices, Shon served on the �첥��Ƶ Senate, Academic Policy, Planning and Research Committee and Tenure & Promotions Committee. He is also active in campus outreach and equity efforts including Breaking Stigmas and ManyGreenHands YorkU.

Shon plans to pursue medical school and hopes to one day return to York at its new medical school. Reflecting on the award, he shared: “This recognition means a lot to me. I’m proud to represent the York community and look forward to giving back through medicine and mentorship.”

Shon’s journey is defined by academic excellence, meaningful leadership and a deep commitment to building inclusive and engaged communities.

┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�┶�

Alumni Golden GRADitude Award

The Alumni Golden GRADitude Award recognizes graduating students who leave �첥��Ƶ a better place thanks to the significant leadership they demonstrated during their time on campus. This year, we are proud to recognize Sebastian Marmorato (HBSc ’25) and Ethan Tucker (BA ’25).

Sebastian Marmorato was honoured with the National CSC Silver Medal, awarded to the top graduating biochemistry student. He received an NSERC USRA to research the photoswitching kinetics of azobenzene-based molecular machines under the supervision of Dr. William Pietro and Dr. Ozzy Mermut.

Beyond academics, Sebastian founded Run Club @ York (YURUN), a campus-wide initiative promoting fitness and well-being. Under his leadership, the club grew to over 200 members and raised over $1,000 for Achilles Canada to support runners with disabilities. Sebastian attributes much of his success to the support of mentors within the Faculty of Science, especially Dr. Kyle Belozerov and Dr. Derek Jackson, with whom he collaborated during the development of CHEM 4055: Enzyme Design in Virtual Reality.

Looking ahead, Sebastian plans to pursue dental school, an interest cultivated while volunteering at Tasios Orthodontics, where he was first exposed to clinical practice and patient care. He intends to remain involved with YURUN as a proud York alumnus.

Ethan Tucker exemplified academic excellence, leadership and a deep commitment to sustainability and equity during his time at York. As a Bermudian-Canadian, his experiences with hurricanes in Bermuda shaped his passion for environmental justice and economic reform.

He founded Ontario’s first chapter of Rethinking Economics, a global movement reimagining economics for people and the planet. Under his leadership, the group launched a cup recycling pilot, donation drives, climate finance panels and a Model COP29 simulation.

Ethan also served as a Peer-Assisted �첥��Ƶ Sessions (PASS) Leader for intermediate microeconomics, contributed to research on gender bias in hiring and recycling behavior and sat on the Economics Department’s adjudicating committee. He was awarded the YUFA Scholarship for achieving the highest GPA in his faculty.

This fall, Ethan will begin a combined JD/MA in Economics at the University of Toronto, supported by the Ted Rachlin Fellowship. He remains committed to building inclusive, sustainable systems and staying engaged with the York community.

Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship

Andrew Harrington

The Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship is awarded to an incoming undergraduate student who is the child, sibling or grandchild of a �첥��Ƶ graduate, and who has shown exceptional academic achievement and meaningful involvement in community service, volunteerism or other activities.

This year’s recipient is Andrew Harrington, who is about to begin his first year in �۴ǰ��’s Kinesiology and Health Science program.

Andrew has been deeply involved in his community through volunteering with the North York Harvest Food Bank and working as a camp mentor for children. These roles helped him build empathy, patience and the ability to stay calm under pressure, especially when working with kids who needed extra support.

A dedicated student and longtime basketball player, Andrew’s passion for physical wellness and teamwork led him to choose kinesiology as his area of study.

He is also proud to be continuing a family connection to York. His mother graduated over 30 years ago and her stories about campus life made a lasting impression.

“I was honestly shocked when I found out,” said Andrew. “It felt amazing to have my hard work recognized, and I’m so excited to be part of the York community.”

The post �첥��Ƶ Alumni Board recognizes four students for academic excellence and leadership appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.

York mentoring events bring students and alumni together

alucches — Wed, 03 Mar 2021 14:08:22 +0000

The Alumni Engagement team recently held two mentoring sessions for students and alumni. Both events took place in a rotating speed-mentorship format, with open dialogue for students to ask questions. Despite the restrictions of in-person networking and learning, alumni and students from across York faculties are creating meaningful ways to connect.

“Hearing from peers who have recently graduated and successfully navigated the job market definitely inspired me for the future,” said biotechnology student Pablo Gonzalez. “I know that the connections I have made and strengthened at this mentoring event with these resilient young alumni, as well as with the fellow students, will prove valuable both during my time at York and during my professional career.”

Along with Student Community Leadership Development (SCLD) at the Spark Leadership Conference in early February, the �첥��Ƶ Alumni Board (YUAB) gathered for an alumni mentoring roundtable. Alumni from a variety of career paths met with students to share their stories about resilience during times of upheaval – a topic especially poignant during the pandemic. Students had the opportunity to practice their networking skills, learn what makes a great leader and understand ways to excel during uncertain times.

In mid-February at the Young Alumni and Student Mentoring Evening, �۴ǰ��’s young alumni ambassadors offered mentorship to student leaders, sharing tips on how to break into careers when applying virtually, how to manage stress, and ways to keep York in their lives after graduating.

“I have grown to be very passionate about York and its success, and I am always seeking new opportunities to contribute to the York community,” said alumna Crystal Heidari (BSC ’17, JD ’20). “�۴ǰ��’s excellent and robust faculty, programs, and initiatives allow its students to develop their interests and skills. With so much to offer and no real wrong decision when seeking academic and extracurricular pursuits, it can sometimes be difficult for students to navigate the journey from student to alumni. I decided to join the mentoring event in an effort to alleviate student concerns by participating in an informal, open dialogue.”

�۴ǰ��’s Alumni Networks are organizing alumni-student mentorship activities. For questions about student-to-alumni mentorship or to get involved, we invite colleagues, alumni and student groups to connect with Alumni Engagement Officer Ellie Coult at ecoult@yorku.ca.

The post York mentoring events bring students and alumni together appeared first on Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.