Leaders and Legends Awards honour OISE stars
2016 Leaders and Legends Award winners with Dean Glen Jones at the Alumni Association's Spring Reunion event on May 26, 2016 (Gary Beechey/BDS Studios)
To recognize OISE’s 50th Anniversary, Ontario Education Minister Liz Sandals and eight outstanding community members have been honoured at OISE's inaugural Leaders and Legends Awards event.
The awards were presented at the Alumni Association’s Spring Reunion, and featured Minister Sandals as keynote speaker, with remarks from our alumni Dr. Sheila Cote-Meek, Associate Vice-President, Academic and Indigenous Programs at Laurentian University; Misha Abarbanel, Teacher and PhD Candidate; and Christina Mitas, President of the Graduate Students' Union.
Find out what the recognition means to OISE's Leaders and Legends Award winners below.
Winners say OISE made a major impact in their lives
Professor Kathleen Gallagher, Innovation Award
“At OISE, I learned to think about education in expansive ways. Critical theory and community engagement and responsiveness seemed ever present in my studies.”
Rumeet Billan, Innovation Award
“OISE gave me a platform where I was able to learn, develop and grow both personally and professionally. It gave me the confidence I needed to not only pursue my goals, but to find purpose in them. OISE has helped me to become who I am meant to be.”
Brian Hodges, Innovation Award
“OISE is a special place that challenges everyone to reflect on the role education plays in shaping who we are and who we could be.”
Christina Mitas, Emerging Leader Award
“My time at OISE has really marked a period in my life where I have kicked into high gear and really started to build my skills and profile. I have had so many successes while a member of this community, and a lot of these have come from my involvement in student affairs and have been thanks to the strong relationships I have built with other members of the OISE family.”
Jeff A. Myers, Award for Distinguished Service
"At OISE, I learned that communities working together for change can be more powerful than I ever imagined, and this learning has served me exceptionally well.”
Marvin Zuker, Award for Distinguished Service
“OISE has contributed incredibly to the success I have had as a Judge of the Ontario Court of Justice for the past 38 years. OISE has always stood for diversity beyond simply tolerance to inclusivity and respect, that every student, parent and community member, regardless of personal circumstances, must feel engaged and included…That is how I have approached my time on the Bench.”
Eucline C. Alleyne, Mentor of the Year Award
"I will be forever indebted to my education at OISE and the support of my staff and colleagues for my success."
Ashley R. Yoannou, Mentor of the Year Award
"The balance of theory and practical experiences promoted by OISE has enabled me to develop transferable skills that have strengthened my academic credentials and expanded my professional capabilities. I am able to confidently engage with professionals who are evolving law and policy to advance the Ontario government’s education programs."
Recognizing impactful work
OISE’s Alumni Association established the Leaders and Legends Awards to recognize and celebrate the impactful work of OISE community members at OISE and around the world. Learn more about the award, and check out photos from the event!
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