Five members of the Class of 2021 have received Student Leadership Awards from the University of Toronto for their outstanding volunteer contributions to the life of the College and the larger University. Over their student careers, they have worked to deepen and enrich the community of St. Michael’s and UofT, advocated for programs and received awards for academic achievements, and pursued environmental initiatives to help keep the University on a path to a sustainable future.
St. Michael’s congratulates:
Natalie Barbuzzi – Natalie’s leadership in cultivating community in the student body at St. Michael’s has been demonstrated through her involvement in senior roles in the Mentorship program and with the Commuter Don team as well as multiple years of involvement with St. Michael’s Orientation. She also pursues social and environmental justice at the University through roles with the Environmental Sustainability Society and University of Toronto Policython.
Adam Da Costa Gomes – Adam has helped many fellow students feel more at home at St. Mike’s through his work as founding secretary for SMC Inclusive, a club dedicated to creating inclusive and LGBTQ+ positive spaces on campus, and through several roles with St. Michael’s Orientation. He has also left a mark on the University’s approach to mental health and its academic community through volunteering as Undergraduate Representative for both the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Mental Health Initiatives Advisory Group and the University of Toronto Advisory Committee to the President for the Selection of the Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
Chiara Perry – Chiara works to help every member of the student body feel welcome and included through her work as both Vice President of Community Life for SMCSU and Social Functions Coordinator for the Indigenous Studies Student Union. She has directly supported fellow St. Michael’s students over several years through the Mentorship program and multiple roles with St. Michael’s Orientation.
Nour Ramzi – Nour has enriched campus life through her multi-year involvement with SMC Troubadours, a student theatre group, and has helped to foster community at St. Michael’s and at the University of Toronto through her involvement in St. Michael’s Orientation and her work as Executive Events Associate for the Middle Eastern Students’ Association.
Christeen Salik – In addition to her work as a Student & Youth Mental Health Art-ivist who founded Healing Hearts Through Art (h2art) and as a Mindful Moments facilitator for the Multi-Faith Centre, Christeen has served as a Marshal Lead for St. Michael’s Orientation, playing a major role in giving St. Mike’s students their first experiences of the College’s unique community. She currently pursues environmental and social justice–focused objectives as President of the Board of Directors for the Ontario Public Interest Research Group of Toronto (OPIRG Toronto).
Established in 1994 by the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) and the Division of University Advancement, the University of Toronto Student Leadership Awards (formerly the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Awards) recognize students who have made outstanding extra-curricular contributions to their college, faculty or school, or to the university as a whole.