Convocation is a time not only for celebrating memories and friendships, but also the academic and extracurricular achievements of the graduating class. Celebrate the accomplishments of this fall’s College Silver Medal and Fr. Madden Leadership Award winners with us as members of the Class of 2021 enter the St. Michael’s alumni family.

St. Michael’s College Silver Medal

College Silver Medals are awarded to all graduating students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7. The recipients of College Silver Medals for Fall 2021 are:

Thomas Borrillo
Yiting (Claire) Fan
Kyle Girdhari
Ali Raza Hasan Ali
Anaiah Lebreton
Vera Nekrasovsky
Hao Guyen
Joanne Zejmo

The Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Awards

Father Robert Madden was a much admired professor, chaplain and rector at St Mike’s who served as the director of alumni affairs in his retirement. The Father Robert Madden Leadership Awards are presented to students who have made significant contributions to the University of St. Michael’s College community by demonstrating leadership, cooperation, and solidarity in student-run organizations or community endeavours.

The recipient of the Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Award for Fall 2021 is:

Christeen Salik

Celebrate Fall 2021 graduates with us during a virtual convocation ceremony for the Faculty of Arts & Science Thursday, Nov. 18 at 12 p.m. 

Convocation is a time for celebrating not only the memories and friendships but also the academic and extracurricular achievements of the graduating class. This year, almost 150 graduating St. Michael’s students received medals and titled awards. Celebrate their accomplishments with us as the Class of 2021 enters the St. Michael’s alumni family.  

 Graduation Awards by Application 

The Principal’s Medal Award 

In conjunction with the family of the late Professor Lawrence E. Lynch, the Principal’s Medal was created in 1978 to recognize the almost lifelong association of Professor Lynch with St. Michael’s College, and also to mark his 25th wedding anniversary. 

 Prof. Lynch served as the College Principal from July 1976-June 1981. 

 The medal is given annually to a graduate who has made a distinctive contribution to life at the college and who upheld the practice of Catholicism proper to a university community. 

This year’s recipient of the Principal’s Medal is Nicole Machado.  

The Marina Santin Award  

St. Michael’s alumni Sylvia and Raymon Santin established the Marina Santin award in honour of their late daughter. During her time at St Mike’s, Marina contributed significantly to the life of the College and to the broader University of Toronto community through her work as an Arts and Entertainment columnist for The Mike, staff photographer for The Newspaper, a Coordinator of the 1991 St. Michael’s Orientation, and by her presence at and support of College and University events and programmes. 

 The Marina Santin Award is presented annually to a female graduate who has distinguished herself by an active and constructive involvement in the life of the college. Recipients exemplify the Christian ideals of joyful engagement in life, openness to others, service to the community, and responsible leadership. 

This year’s recipient of the Marina Santin Award is Samantha Marie Ramphal.  

The Sir Bertram Windle Graduate Scholarship 

The Sir Bertram Windle C.A. Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a student with an excellent academic record who will be entering a liberal arts graduate program at the University of Toronto in the September following graduation. 

This year’s recipient of the Sir Bertram Windle Graduate Scholarship is Natalie Barbuzzi.  

The W.B. Dunphy Medal  

The W.B. Dunphy Medal was created in 1991 to honour Professor William Dunphy, who served as College Principal from 1981-1991. 

 Principal Dunphy was particularly concerned that university life should not be separate from the life of the wider community. 

 The medal is awarded annually to a graduate who has been most successful in combining excellent academic achievement with a sustained commitment to volunteer service in the wider community. 

This year’s recipient of the W.B. Dunphy Medal is Bryn Badour.  

The Fr. Henry Carr, CSB Award  

The Father Henry Carr, CSB, Award, named in honour of a Basilian Father who helped shape this institution and who served as President and Superior at St. Michael’s from 1915 to 1925 is presented to a graduate who has made an outstanding contribution to the University of Toronto in athletics, academics, leadership, or student life. 

The recipient of this year’s Father Henry Carr, CSB, Award is Victoria Lunetta.  

The Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Awards 

Father Robert Madden was a much-admired professor, chaplain and Basilian Superior at St Mike’s who served as the Director of Alumni Affairs in his retirement. The Father Robert Madden Leadership Awards are presented to students who have made significant contributions to the University of St. Michael’s College community by demonstrating leadership, cooperation, and solidarity in student-run organizations or community endeavours. 

The recipients of this year’s Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Awards are:  

Juliano Baggieri

Natalie Barbuzzi

Adam Da Costa Gomes

Onagite Emakpor

Chiara Greco 

Kyungmin (Jace) Lee 

Victoria Lunetta

Nicole Machado

Taylor Medeiros

Nicholas Pagano

Chiara Perry

Sabrina Quartarone

Samantha Ramphal

Grusha Singh

Isabela Villanoy

Angela Zhou

The University of St. Michael’s College Young Alumni Award 

The University of St. Michael’s College Young Alumni Award is awarded to a graduand who has demonstrated involvement and leadership at USMC, in the UofT community, and in the local community that encompasses the values of USMC, including volunteerism, contribution to student life and spirit of inclusiveness.

The recipient of this year’s University of St. Michael’s College Young Alumni Award is Adam Da Costa Gomes.

Graduation Awards by Merit and Program 

The Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni – Centro Scuola Scholarships  

Alberto Di Giovanni, 7T1 and his wife, Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni, 7T0, have a long and close association with the University of St. Michael’s College. They met here as students and have stayed involved as alumni. Three of their children (Annamaria, Carlo and Franca) as well as nieces and nephews have followed in their footsteps and graduated from St Mike’s. Alberto and Caroline have endowed scholarships and an annual Dante lecture to demonstrate their appreciation for their experiences here and to encourage St Mike’s graduates to develop life-long connections with their alma mater. 

The Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni Scholarships are awarded each year to St. Michael’s College students. Earlier this spring Di Giovanni scholarships were awarded to students participating in the Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas. 

Today we are recognizing the Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni Scholarships for graduating students who have achieved the top marks in Italian Studies and have demonstrated leadership and community spirit on the St. Michael’s College campus and in the community at large. 

The recipients of this year’s Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni – Centro Scuola Scholarships are Nicole Chiefari and Chiara Marie Muia.  

The Tommaso Serrao Award 

This award was established by the Family and Friends of Mr. Tommaso Serrao, who had a great love and passion for Italian literature. 

The award is presented to an outstanding graduate who has excelled in the study of Italian. 

The recipient of this year’s Tommaso Serrao Award is Rita Kot.  

The Mercier-Knowlton Prize for Philosophy in Christianity & Culture 

While studying at St Michael’s College, William Leo Knowlton, class of 1927, developed a deep love of philosophy that never left him. 

In 1999, he made a generous donation to St Michael’s to establish an endowed lectureship in Philosophy and Theology. 

This gift also enabled the College to re-institute the Mercier Prize, which had been established in 1924 in honour of Cardinal Mercier and his work relative to the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas. 

This award is given to the student with the highest CGPA in Philosophy and Christianity & Culture. 

The recipient of this year’s Mercier-Knowlton Prize for Philosophy in Christianity & Culture is Samantha Marie Ramphal.  

The James O’Brien 5T0 Book Award 

The James O’Brien Book Award was inspired by the memory of James O’Brien, St. Michael’s Class of 1950. 

After graduating, he remained an active alumnus of the College, serving on the USMC Senate for a number of years, as well as on the Library Committee. 

His family established this award to honour his love of literature and to celebrate their continuing association with St. Mike’s. 

The recipient of this year’s James O’Brien 5T0 Book Award is Cassandra Marie Fernandes.  

Davide De Luca Memorial Graduation Scholarship

A gifted and brilliant student, Davide De Luca (July 4, 1980 – March 30, 2020) was a loving son, a cherished friend and a respected colleague. He pursued his unquenching thirst for knowledge and touched the lives of so many during his academic journey on these very grounds. He left this world too soon, leaving a legacy of love, compassion, goodness and respect for his fellow man. 

The scholarship is awarded to an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts and Science at St. Michael’s College graduating with a major in Italian Studies with the highest overall GPA. Should there be no qualifying student, a minor in Italian Studies will be considered.

The recipient of the first Davide De Luca Memorial Graduation Scholarship is Erica Angela Vardaro. 

Governor General’s Silver Medal

The Governor General’s Academic Medal was first awarded in 1873 by the Earl of Dufferin, and has since become one of the most prestigious awards that a student in a Canadian educational institution can receive. The governor general of Canada continues this tradition of encouraging scholarship across the nation and recognizing outstanding students.

The silver medal is awarded to the undergraduate who achieves the highest academic standing upon graduation from a bachelor degree program.

The nominees for this year’s Governor Genreal’s Silver Medal are Omar Elbardisy and Ruikai Wu.

College Gold Medals 

The College Gold Medals are awarded to graduating students with the highest cumulative grade point average in Arts, Science, and Commerce. 

The recipients of this year’s College Gold Medals are:  

College Silver Medals 

College Silver Medals are awarded to all other graduating students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7.  

The recipients of this year’s College Silver Medals are: 

From finding community on campus or earning top marks in challenging courses—even to becoming a mother just days before Convocation—members of St. Michael’s Class of 2021 have had a rich and unique set of experiences. 

This year’s St. Michael’s class is large by University of Toronto standards. 817 students will receive degrees during a virtual convocation ceremony at noon EDT on June 23, and at 10:30 a.m. that day, members of the class will also be presented with a variety of College awards recognizing academic achievement and community involvement.

“St. Mike’s is known as the Catholic college, and features humanities and theological studies,” graduand Ruikai Wu says. His outstanding marks earned him this year’s College Gold Medal for science, which is the degree designation of the largest share of this year’s graduating class, and he is also one of two graduands to be nominated for the U of T Governor General’s Silver Medal. Wu’s goals for his university studies were to learn science and critical thinking, and he chose St. Michael’s as his college in order to gain exposure to non-scientific fields. “To understand the science better, you need to understand how people think and behave,” he says.

While his performance in Life Science courses related to microbiology and molecular biology helped him earn his award, one of Wu’s most meaningful course experiences was English 100-Effective Writing. “No matter what you do or study, you need to write clearly, to avoid abstract words and tense confusion,” he says.

Wu found a home at St. Mike’s after meeting other entrance scholarship recipients at a lunch that also included St. Michael’s staff members. “It felt nice because U of T is such a large place, and St. Mike’s is smaller but still a big place,” he says. Meeting fellow students helped give Wu a “feeling of community and a sense that there were people to talk to.” He also credits Assistant Registrar Nawang Khangkar with helping him feel welcome and cared about at St. Mike’s. “My experience at St. Mike’s would be very different” if not for her help, he says.

Fellow Life Sciences student Omar Elbardisy came to feel at home at St. Mike’s as a commuter student after attending Orientation Week events his first year. The College Silver Medal winner is the other U of T Governor General’s Silver Medal nominee for St. Mike’s, and like Wu, carried a 4.0 CGPA through his studies.

He also found great value in taking non-science courses. “I am from an Egyptian background; I was born there and lived there for a while before immigrating,” he says. “Being at U of T in a completely foreign country and seeing courses that address my home country really impacted me.” One of the most meaningful he took was Voices from Ancient Egypt, which he found “more literature and essay based” than his other classes in a way that he found “mutually enriching.

“I had to think about the material in a different way, and I studied differently… taking an interdisciplinary course makes you go beyond the readings, do your own research, and really helped me a lot,” he says.

Foundational to Elbardisy’s success in both scientific and humanities courses was the goal of truly understanding content instead of relying on rote memorization. He also sought balance through involvement in extracurricular activities at St. Michael’s such as intramural soccer, Orientation leadership, and connections with his commuter dons, all of which helped him feel at home at the College.

Community involvement and academic achievement in Italian Studies together qualified Chiara Muia to receive an Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni Centro Scuola Scholarship. “During Orientation Week of my first year I was overwhelmed by how welcoming everyone at St. Mike’s was,” she says. She kept in touch with her leaders all four years, and forged friendships that have lasted through her student career.

Muia also found surprising upsides to working on her classes remotely. “Though I missed being on campus, I found that being online actually allowed me to talk to my professors much more,” she says. The ease with which she could reach out for a quick video chat “allowed me to get a lot more out of my classes than I generally would have.”

Muia took one of her most meaningful classes in her last semester. JCI350: Italian Canadian Culture and Identity “allowed me to better understand the history of my family and connect with them in a way I never have before,” Muia says.

Fellow graduand Samantha Ramphal found her studies and extracurricular involvement at St. Mike’s to help integrate many parts of her life. A transformative experience in the Gilson Seminar on Faith and Ideas her first year led the Environment and Health major to pick up Christianity and Culture as a minor. She will be receiving the Mercier-Knowlton Prize for Philosophy in Christianity and Culture and the Marina Santin Award at the USMC graduation awards ceremony on Wednesday.

“I enjoyed the experience of being in such a small and intimate classroom and having the chance to deepen my faith,” Ramphal says. Her experiences in the classroom led as well to a variety of extracurricular involvement including presenting a paper at St. Michael’s student research colloquium in 2017, volunteering as a student representative on the St. Michael’s Collegium, and serving as a student leader in the Christianity and Culture club.

The awards being given recognize the achievements of these and many other talented students, but they also point to bright futures after graduation. Wu will be entering a PhD program in the University of Toronto Department of Biochemistry, while Elbardisy will be starting medical school this fall, also at U of T. Muia’s next stop is a three-year Master of Architecture program at the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism at Carleton University.

But Ramphal has perhaps the most unique next step of all. She welcomed her son Raphael into the world on the afternoon of Sunday, June 6—only weeks before convocation. Is he a future St. Michael’s student? We can only hope.

The University of St. Michael’s College Graduation Awards Ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 23.

Convocation is a time not only for celebrating memories and friendships, but also the academic and extracurricular achievements of the graduating class. This year, almost 150 graduating St. Michael’s students received medals and named awards. Celebrate their accomplishments with us as the Class of 2020 enters the St. Michael’s alumni family.  

Graduation Awards by Application 

The Principal’s Medal Award 

In conjunction with the family of the late Professor Lawrence E. Lynch, the Principal’s Medal was created in 1978 to recognize the almost lifelong association of Professor Lynch with St. Michael’s College, and also to mark his 25th wedding anniversary. 

 Professor Lynch served as the College Principal from July 1976-June 1981. 

 The medal is given annually to a graduate who has made a distinctive contribution to life at the college and who upheld the practice of Catholicism proper to a university community. 

This year’s recipient of the Principal’s Medal is Rose Wang.  

The Marina Santin Award  

Sylvia and Raymon Santin, St. Mike’s alumni, established the Marina Santin award in honour of their late daughter. During her time as a St Mike’s Marina contributed significantly to the life of the College and to the University through her work as an Arts and Entertainment columnist for The Mike, staff photographer for The Newspaper, a Coordinator of the 1991 St. Michael’s Orientation, and by her presence at and support of College and University events and programmes. 

 The Marina Santin Award is presented annually to a female graduate who has distinguished herself by an active and constructive involvement in the life of the college. Recipients exemplify the Christian ideals of joyful engagement in life, openness to others, service to the community, and responsible leadership. 

This year’s recipient of the Marina Santin Award is Sasha Hellwig.  

The Sir Bertram Windle Graduate Scholarship 

The Sir Bertram Windle C.A Graduate Scholarship is awarded to a student with an excellent academic record who will be entering a liberal arts graduate program at the University of Toronto in the September following graduation. 

This year’s recipient of the Sir Bertram Windle Graduate Scholarship is Isabel Armiento.  

The W.B. Dunphy Medal  

The W.B. Dunphy Medal was created in 1991 to honour Professor William Dunphy, who served as College Principal from 1981-1991. 

 Principal Dunphy was particularly concerned that university life should not be separate from the life of the wider community. 

 The medal is awarded annually to a graduate who has been most successful in combining excellent academic achievement with sustained commitment to volunteer service in the wider community. 

This year’s recipient of the W.B. Dunphy Medal is Zara Ahmad.  

The Fr. Henry Carr, CSB Award  

The Father Henry Carr, CSB Award, named in honour of a Basilian father who helped shape this institution and who served as president and superior at St. Michael’s from 1915 to 1925 is presented to a graduate who has made an outstanding contribution to the University of Toronto in athletics, academics, leadership, or student life. 

The recipient of this year’s Father Henry Carr, CSB Award is Hodan Mohamud.  

The Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Awards 

Father Robert Madden was a much admired professor, chaplain and rector at St Mike’s who served as the director of alumni affairs in his retirement. The Father Robert Madden Leadership Awards are presented to students who have made significant contributions to the University of St. Michael’s College community by demonstrating leadership, cooperation, and solidarity in student-run organizations or community endeavours. 

The recipients of this year’s Fr. Robert Madden, CSB Leadership Awards are:  

Anna Zappone 

James Pettem 

Julia Orsini 

Luke Bannon 

Almeera Khalid 

Vicente Constantino Kripka 

Sabrina Daniele 

The University of St. Michael’s College Young Alumni Award 

The recipient of this year’s University of St. Michael’s College Young Alumni Award is Samuel Gearing.  

Graduation Awards by Merit and Program 

The Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni – Centro Scuola Scholarships  

Alberto Di Giovanni, 7T1 and his wife Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni, 7T0 have a long and close association with the University of St. Michael’s College. They met here as students and have stayed involved as alumni. Three of their children (Annamaria, Carlo and Franca) as well as nieces and nephews have followed in their footsteps and graduated from St Mike’s. Alberto and Caroline have endowed scholarships and an annual Dante lecture to demonstrate their appreciation for their experiences here and to encourage St Mike’s graduates to develop life-long connections with their alma mater. 

 Four Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni Scholarships are awarded each year to St. Michael’s College students. Earlier this spring Di Giovanni scholarships were awarded to students participating in the Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas. 

Today we are recognizing Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni Scholarships for graduating students who have achieved the top marks in Italian Studies and have demonstrated leadership and community spirit on the St. Michael’s College campus; and in the community at large. 

The recipients of this year’s Alberto and Caroline Morgan Di Giovanni – Centro Scuola Scholarships are Julia Volpe and David Adamiszyn.  

The Tommaso Serrao Award 

This award was established by the Family and Friends of Mr. Tommaso Serrao, who had a great love and passion for Italian literature. 

The award is presented to an outstanding graduate who has excelled in the study of Italian. 

The recipient of this year’s Tommaso Serrao Award is Janet Marta.  

The Mercier-Knowlton Prize for Philosophy in Christianity & Culture 

While studying at St Michael’s College, William Leo Knowlton, class of 1927, developed a deep love of philosophy that never left him. 

In 1999, he made a generous donation to St Michael’s to establish an endowed lectureship in Philosophy and Theology. 

This gift also enabled the College to re-institute the Mercier Prize, which had been established in 1924 in honour of Cardinal Mercier and his work relative to the philosophy of St Thomas Aquinas. 

This award is given to the student with the highest CGPA in Philosophy and Christianity & Culture. 

The recipient of this year’s Mercier-Knowlton Prize for Philosophy in Christianity & Culture is Sasha Hellwig.  

The James O’Brien 5T0 Book Award 

The James O’Brien Book Award was inspired by the memory of James O’Brien, St. Mike’s Class of 1950. 

After graduating he remained an active alumnus of the College, serving on the USMC Senate for a number of years and on the Library Committee. 

His family established this award to honour his love of literature and to celebrate their continuing association with St. Mike’s. 

The recipient of this year’s James O’Brien 5T0 Book Award is Danielle Nassr.  

College Gold Medals 

The College Gold Medals are awarded to graduating students with the highest cumulative grade point average in Arts, Science, and Commerce. 

The recipients of this year’s College Gold Medals are:  

College Silver Medals 

College Silver Medals are awarded to all other graduating students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.7.  

The recipients of this year’s College Silver Medals are: