91亚色鈥檚 Top 30 Alumni Under 30 awards program is a prestigious annual recognition of outstanding young alumni who are making significant contributions in their fields and communities. This year, the Faculty of Education proudly highlights alumna Blessing Owusu, a three鈥憈ime 91亚色 graduate, as one of the honorees. Blessing is an educator, children鈥檚 book author, and dedicated advocate for equity and inclusivity in education.

A leader in inclusive teaching, her master鈥檚 research on Black students鈥� experiences in schools led to the creation of Abena鈥檚 Adventures: A Taste of Home, a children鈥檚 book inspired by her Ghanaian鈥慍anadian heritage that is now used in classrooms to celebrate cultural identity and belonging. She also launched Lessons With Blessing, an online platform offering resources to help educators create equitable, affirming learning environments. These innovative contributions, reflecting her commitment to 鈥渂ringing inclusivity and equity to the forefront鈥� of teaching, research and advocacy earned her a place on 91亚色鈥檚 2025 Top 30 Alumni Under 30 list.

For the complete list of recipients and their profiles, visit 91亚色鈥檚 official Top 30 Alumni Under 30 awards page.

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Garcia-Sitton received the Michel Laferri猫re Research Award by the Comparative & International Education Society of Canada and the George Geiss Award by the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education for his dissertation titled 鈥淧olicy Making in Times of Crisis: The Case of Immigration and International Students in Canada During the COVID-19 Pandemic.鈥�

Informed through analysis of policy documents and interviews with policy actors, the study examines how immigration policy measures introduced in Canada during the pandemic affected international student recruitment and retention in the nation鈥檚 post-secondary education institutions.

鈥淚 am deeply honoured and humbled to receive these awards from national academic societies that have significantly contributed to the fields of higher education and international education,鈥� says Garcia-Sitton, who has over 20 years of experience in international relations and business development as a former diplomat and within the higher education sector. He currently serves as the inaugural executive director of international student enrolment, education and inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Professor Roopa Desai Trilokekar, Garcia-Sitton鈥檚 dissertation supervisor whom he credits for her guidance on his work, commended his achievement, noting: 鈥淚saac鈥檚 work and its recognition through two national awards is a reflection of the fruits of humility, hard work and dedication.鈥�

Exploring the various immigration policy measures introduced in Canada from March 2020 to December 2022 to ensure the continued recruitment and retention of international students, Garcia-Sitton鈥檚 dissertation highlights how the pandemic acted as a catalyst for policy change, leading to significant adaptations in travel regulations, study provisions, work-related measures and pathways to permanent residency.

The research illustrates, too, the interplay between federal and provincial jurisdictions and how lack of co-ordination can further complicate policy making in uncertain conditions. By identifying and investigating the role of institutional constraints and the alignment of policy actors in decision-making processes, the dissertation provides insights that can inform high-impact and rapid-response policy changes to support the international education sector in Canada.

Garcia-Sitton鈥檚 research identifies key factors that facilitated policy changes during the pandemic and highlights the significance of policy entrepreneurs, clear communication and the widespread collaboration in shaping effective policy responses. In addition, by identifying the interconnectedness between global geopolitical shifts and internal policy decisions, the study illustrates how external factors can shape a country鈥檚 attractiveness in the international education arena, and advocates for a more comprehensive and holistic approach in policy analysis.

The forward-looking nature of Garcia-Sitton鈥檚 disseration are something both awards singled out.

鈥淚saac鈥檚 dissertation presents a compelling case for the significance of analyzing policy changes during times of crisis,鈥� noted the 2024 committee for the Michel Laferri猫re Research Award, which recognizes outstanding research in the field of comparative and international education. The committee for the George Geiss Award, which has the same goal as the Michel Laferri猫re Award, echoed that, noting that Garcia-Sitton鈥檚 work provides 鈥渁 valuable case study to guide future analyses and practices.鈥�

鈥淎s an immigrant and a scholar-practitioner, this recognition underscores the importance of my journey and the impact of dedicated research on shaping inclusive and supportive policies for international students,鈥� says Garcia-Sitton.

Article originally published in the July 17, 2024 issue of 

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Faculty of Education alumna Kyo Maclear (PhD '18) has been awarded the 2023 Governor General's Literary Prize for non-fiction. Maclear, who is an instructor in the University of Guelph鈥檚 Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, won the coveted award for , a memoir about a family secret revealed by a DNA test, the lessons learned in its aftermath and the power of love.

鈥淚 was honoured to land on the shortlist with my fellow nominees, who have all written beautiful and important books. And now, I鈥檓 doubly honoured that the book found a kind of resonance,鈥� Maclear said after learning of her win.

Read the full article on the University of Guelph's .

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Collette Murray (MEd 鈥� ), was among the remarkable group of 20 dance educators to receive an award for Outstanding Leadership in Justice, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Murray is a dance scholar in arts education, community arts engagement and Afrodiasporic dance vernacular. She centralizes dance education in teaching, mentorship, and advocacy of the Canadian African diasporic dance sector. Her multi-award recognitions are for advancing the importance of cultural arts and anti-racism work in dance in Ontario and for significant contributions to collaboratively work with culturally diverse communities and creating access to arts and culture in Toronto.

With a background in West African, Caribbean folk, and stilt-walking/dance, Murray is pursuing a Ph.D. in Dance Studies at 91亚色 on the pedagogical training of Afrodiasporic dance educators. She holds a master鈥檚 in education, an Honours BA in Race, Ethnicity and Indigeneity from 91亚色, and a Sociology BA from the University of Toronto.

Miss Coco Murray is her mobile dance education business, and she is artistic director of Coco Collective, an intergenerational team offering culturally responsive dance programs and cultural arts education of African and Caribbean practices to schools, organizations, and communities. Murray leads as Board Chair of Dance Umbrella of Ontario, a National Council member of the Canadian Dance Assembly, and the Board of Directors for Arts Etobicoke to bring an equity and decolonizing lens for change.

Read the full article posted on the web site

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When Opiyo Oloya visited his home of Northern Uganda in 1996, he quickly became aware of the growing tragedy that was the life of the child soldier.

鈥淚 did not understand the idea,鈥� he says. 鈥淵es, I understood that these children were involved in being trained to shoot, but I could not understand how it worked.

鈥淗ow can a child soldier become involved and kill? A child of nine to ten years old?鈥�

As a teacher with St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School in Markham at the time鈥攁s an educator鈥攖hese were the sorts questions that Oloya could not just disregard.

With a distinct lack of academic material studying child soldiers at the time, Oloya realized he would need to learn more directly from this harrowing reality to even further understand how to enrich the teaching experience back in Ontario.

In March 2000, Oloya returned to Uganda again鈥攖his time to begin working with child soldiers. The research had begun. It would be a few years later in 2004 when he would further enroll at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education, where he would expand on this research, write his dissertation on the topic, and eventually publish it into a book called Child Soldier in 2013.

But contributions like this were but a fraction of Oloya鈥檚 rich and long career in education since 1988.

Whether it was serving as a secondary school teacher with the Bahamas Ministry of Education, as a teacher, principal and then superintendent with the 91亚色 Catholic District School Board, or as researcher and advisor to both the Uganda Peoples Defense Forces, as well to Yoweri K. Museveni, President of Uganda (all while pursuing his PhD part-time), Oloya's extensive experience has now thoroughly prepared him to be perhaps the best suited pedagogue for his latest undertaking.

Today, Oloya serves as Associate Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with Western University. While the scope of his work has changed broadly since his time with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), he says his job still remains to be one of community-building, being open to a diversity of voices, and learning from the student body.

鈥淲e have students that come from Asia, Africa and the Middle East with a wealth of experience and knowledge,鈥� he says. In any discussion in the classroom, why not create a space where their experience and knowledge come to the forefront and enriches the learning process?鈥�

Oloya says his work today is dependent on working with allies to begin creating a sense of inclusion and welcoming diversity. Engaged with every sector of Western鈥攆rom the student level, to collaborating with staff, faculty and senior university administrators 鈥攖ogether, they work to find common ways of making Western more inclusive.

Just over four months into his new post, Oloya turns to his very first day at Western to highlight where the school is and where it is headed.

鈥淥ne of the first meetings I had was with a student who met me and dropped a 15-page proposal about studying Black Studies on my desk. I was very happy to see that. And now we have a committee that is looking at how we can create a major in Black Studies here!鈥�

鈥淭he support is just tremendous, but we do have a long way to go in creating diversity here at Western. This includes creating pathways for Black students, Indigenous students, for students with disabilities and students of colour.鈥�

To Oloya, teaching continues to be dialectical. And most certainly not a one-way process. It does not just change the learner. It massively changes the teacher, for that is the way human interaction works, in his eyes.

鈥淔or me, teaching is a joy. To those who are thinking about it鈥ou will never find a profession that is more satisfying鈥攐ne in which you can actually say: 鈥榊es, I feel I have made a difference.鈥欌��

And if Oloya鈥檚 first four months at Western is any indication, he is just getting started.

Article by Dennis Bayazitov, special contributing writer

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