Alumni Reunion, a weekend of reconnecting and reminiscing, will be capped off with the Alumni Awards Ceremony and Brunch to celebrate the outstanding contributions and impact of members of our alumni community. This year’s award winners have demonstrated a commitment to sharing St. Michael’s values to make a difference in their communities.
St. Michael’s is proud to announce this year’s recipients:
Katie Di Tomaso (0T0) is this year’s recipient of the Dr. Richard Alway Award, which recognizes alumni whose significant contributions to society bring esteem to them and to the College. Katie Di Tomaso has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to service, justice, and community-building, as she embodies St. Mike’s values in both her professional and personal endeavors. A trusted and experienced civil litigator with over 21 years of experience in private practice, Katie represents a broad range of clients in complex tort litigation and is widely respected for her integrity, skill, and professionalism. In recognition of her leadership and dedication to the highest ideals of the legal profession, Katie was honoured with the Ontario Bar Association’s prestigious Joel Kuchar Award for Professionalism and Civility in 2024. Rooted in her Catholic faith, Katie is deeply engaged in mentoring young professionals, advocating for social justice, and supporting charitable initiatives that reflect her commitment to human dignity and inclusion. A devoted mother of two accomplished daughters, Katie is also a passionate advocate for children’s education, health, and well-being. Her long-standing volunteerism, including leading major fundraising initiatives and supporting programs that enhance academic, athletic, and artistic opportunities for children, has earned her the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Award and a nomination for the Toronto Catholic District School Board Award of Merit and CPIC CSPC Award.
Peter Dellinger (7T4) is this year’s winner of the Spirit of St. Mike’s Award, which is presented to an exceptional member of the alumni community who embodies the values of St. Mike’s – human dignity, community, social justice, service, and sustainability – in their professional, leadership and community impact roles. Peter has dedicated many years towards addressing the legal needs of farmworkers in America in his role as an adjunct faculty member at the University at Buffalo School of Law and works with Rural Migrant Ministry in New York State on farmworker immigration issues. After graduating from St. Mike’s, he earned a Master of Arts in American Government from American University and a law degree from the Antioch School of Law in Washington, D.C. He began his legal aid career focused on economic justice issues in Midwestern United States, where he directed a state-wide legal services program representing migrant farmworkers. During this time, he completed language course work at the Academia Hispano Americana in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. He is married to Carolyn Reardon and has twin sons, Paul and Tom.
Presented to a member of the alumni community who graduated from St. Mike’s in the last 10 years who has made a distinguished and outstanding impact in their professional accomplishments, and contributions of service to benefit society, this year’s Young Alumni Impact Award will be awarded to Maria Rio (1T7). In less than a decade since graduating from St. Mike’s, Maria has made a remarkable impact in the nonprofit and charitable sector in Canada. As the founder of Further Together, a fundraising consulting firm, Maria leverages her personal experiences as a refugee to fuel her passion for nonprofit work. Her journey began in 2011 as a face-to-face fundraiser and eventually transitioning to in-house roles such as Director of Development and Communications at various nonprofits. An advocate for Community-Centric Fundraising, Maria uses her lived experience to push for innovative, equity-driven approaches in the nonprofit sector. In addition to her consulting work, Maria hosts The Small Nonprofit Podcast and serves on the Board of Living Wage Canada. She is passionate about helping nonprofits break away from outdated practices and embrace new, impactful models of fundraising. Maria has spoken at numerous conferences, is published nationally, and was a finalist for the 2022 Charity Village Best Individual Fundraiser Award.
Named after the first laywoman on staff at St. Mike’s, the Prof. Victoria Mueller-Carson Trailblazer Award recognizes St. Mike’s alumni who can be described as pioneers, innovators, and trailblazers, making a ground-breaking contribution to improving and enriching the lives of others to create positive change. This year’s winner, Deborah Livingston-Lowe (8T7), is a passionate researcher, worker, and educator in the field of sustainability. She has studied, taught, and worked in the local, sustainable textile field for over twenty years. As a traditional handloom weaver, Deborah works with local farmers in a soil-to-soil fibre system to produce farm-to-fashion textiles in the form of blankets, fabric for clothing and upholstery, domestic textiles, and textile art. Deborah’s award-winning work has been displayed in exhibitions, on film and television, and on the fashion runway.
Brenda Sweeney (8T4) will be recognized with The Victor Dodig Community Impact Award, named for Victor Dodig (SMC 8T8) and presented to alumni who drive meaningful change, foster innovation, and demonstrate a significant impact through their professional achievements, community involvement, or dedicated service. Victor’s leadership and the values he embodies are a source of inspiration to the entire St. Mike’s community. Brenda is deeply committed to mentoring young Canadians, supporting refugee settlement, and advocating for women’s education and empowerment. She is an active volunteer with Scouts Canada, St. John Ambulance, St. Andrew’s Parish (Oakville) and St. Michael’s College. She is the Chair and a co-founder of the Alumnae Initiative for Women at St. Mike’s, which enriches the experiences of all St. Mike’s women through advocacy, leadership, and philanthropy. Professionally, Brenda provides governance, strategy, and reputational risk guidance to senior leadership and elected officials in the broader public sector. She is married with two adult sons, both of whom are graduates of U of T and one from St. Mike’s.
The Awards Ceremony and Brunch is one of the many exciting events taking place on campus from May 30 to June 1 as part of Alumni Reunion 2025. Check out this year’s full itinerary and register online.