Three of York University’s students and alumni were honoured at the 2003 Annual New Pioneer Awards reception held at the Westin Harbour Castle on March 20. The reception was held by Skills for Change, an organization established in 1983 committed to “providing learning and training opportunities for immigrants and refugees so that they can participate in the workplace and wider community.”
All of the award recipients had their stories featured in the Toronto Star the week before the reception, outlining their achievements and the struggles they overcame.
The three award winners connected to York University who were honoured for their outstanding achievements were:
Martha Kumsa, right, a graduate of the School of Social Work and Department of Sociology, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies;
Azim Lila, left, third-year student at York’s School of Business Administration, Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies, majoring in business and specializing in information technology;
Yvonne Ng, below, right, graduate of the York University Dance Department, Faculty of Fine Arts.
Also in attendance to help celebrate this event were Vice-President Students & Alumni (VPSA) Bonnie Neuman; Director of Alumni Barbara Sutton; Senior Executive Officer (VPSA) Billie Mullick; Prof. Amy Rossiter, Atkinson School of Social Work; and Prof. Manuel Luna, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, Faculty of Arts.
Congratulations to all the winners. If you would like more information about these award recipients or Skills for Change, visit www.skillsforchange.org.