The 91ÑÇÉ« Alumni Board has announced the recipients of the 2026 Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship, Alumni GoldenÌýGRADitudeÌýaward and the Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship.Ìý
Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship
Recipient: Brooklyn Simm
The Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship is awarded to an incoming undergraduate student who is the child, sibling or grandchild of a 91ÑÇÉ« graduate, and who has shown exceptional academic achievement and meaningful involvement in community service, volunteerism or other activities.
This year’s recipient is Brooklyn Simm, who is about to begin her first year in 91ÑÇɫ’s Pharmaceutical Chemistry program. Originally from the small Lake Simcoe community of Kenneth-Sutton in Georgina, Ontario, she hopes to become a pharmacist and help expand access to healthcare services in her hometown.
Pursuing post-secondary education has historically presented challenges for her family because of the distance to major institutions. However, her mother, April, overcame those barriers as a first-generation university student, earning a Psychology degree from 91ÑÇÉ« while commuting daily from Georgina. Hearing her mother’s experiences and witnessing her determination inspired Brooklyn to follow in her footsteps and begin her own 91ÑÇÉ« journey this fall.
Brooklyn aspires to join the 91ÑÇÉ« Lions women’s hockey team and hopes to contribute to the 91ÑÇÉ« community by exploring clubs and potentially volunteering for student life.
Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship
Recipient: Stephanie Onwukaike
The Alumni Silver Jubilee Scholarship is presented to a student who exemplifies excellence in academics, leadership and community impact. This year’s recipient, Stephanie Onwukaike (BSc ‘26), is recognized for her academic achievements, outstanding volunteerism and long-lasting impact in psychology and 91ÑÇɫ’s black community.
Throughout her time at 91ÑÇÉ«, Stephanie has demonstrated a strong commitment to both academic and extracurricular excellence. As part of her coursework, she had the opportunity to research burnout in university students which has strengthened her commitment to promoting mental health.
Beyond her studies, she is an advocate for marginalized communities, and participates as a dancer in the Nigerian Student Association and as an events director in Black Students in Psychology (BSIP). She also volunteered with MIRA, an AI-based chatbot initiative, focused on increasing the accessibility of mental health services, where she explored the viability and intersection of AI and psychology.
Stephanie remains committed to supporting underdeveloped communities for mental health, with plans to pursue her master’s degree. She hopes to further explore and bridge the gap between technology and psychology nd eventually start her own podcast.
Golden GRADitude Award
Recipients: Favour Isemede and Gurneet Singh
The Alumni Golden GRADitude Award recognizes graduating students who leave 91ÑÇÉ« a better place thanks to the significant leadership they demonstrated during their time on campus. We are proud to recognize this year’s recipients, Favour Isemede (BHS ’26) and Gurneet Singh (BES ’26).
Favour Isemede
Throughout her time at 91ÑÇÉ«, Favour embodied tenacity, academic excellence and a passion for health equity. Her studies broadened her view on the healthcare industry beyond clinical work, leading her to explore health equity, the social determinants of health and policy, which has prepared her to better tackle health and development issues.
Beyond her studies, she served as the events planning director for the Rotaract Club, focusing on underserved communities, which strengthened her commitment to health equity issues. Some of her most memorable experiences include sowing pads for women in Trinidad & Tobago, writing letters to children in the Philippines, and the push-up challenge which has shown her the positive impact she can have. She has also worked as a personal support worker, an experience that has strengthened her resolve to change the system to be more inclusive towards underserved communities.
She is grateful to receive the Golden GRADitude award and plans on using it to further her ambitions. In the future, Favour plans on pursuing her master’s degree with future goals to open her own clinic as well as designing inclusive footwear at the intersection of comfort and fashion.
Gurneet Singh
Gurneet Singh’s involvement at 91ÑÇÉ« began through a research work-study position in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC). This experience helped her realize the many opportunities on campus. This is in part what drew her to pursue both her bachelor’s and master’s degree at 91ÑÇÉ«.
Previously, Gurneet took on the role of president of the Environment and Urban Change Student Association (EUCSA) where she was tasked with reviving the club and advocating for students at EUC. In her experience at EUCSA, she launched the EUCSA Research Fair, bringing visibility to student achievement.
Gurneet hopes to use the scholarship to fund her master’s research on environmental policy. Her research will bring more awareness to the environment and climate change. Gurneet believes that 91ÑÇɫ’s program equips students with the proper training and expertise to critique and challenge different topics. In the future she hopes to spread more visibility for the faculty and its students through change and learning.