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.

The post Educated and Empowered: 91亚色 U Alumna Named Among 2025 Top 30 Under 30 appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Kate Haiyun Mossop (MLCE 鈥�21) is a community builder with a lifelong passion for strengthening communities and helping people overcome barriers. It was this passion that guided her to 91亚色.

鈥淢y earliest memories include a variety of community experiences,鈥� says Kate. 鈥淔rom wrapping donated medical supplies that my mother shipped to Vietnam, to fundraising for families experiencing hardship, to volunteering for various elections. Community engagement is a core theme in my life, which is why I was drawn to the Master of Leadership and Community Engagement (MLCE) program at 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education.鈥�

Taking what she learned at 91亚色, she served as a YWCA Canada delegate at the United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization鈥檚 (WHO) Big Six Global Youth Summit where she was a member of the #ImpactCOVID project, a pan-Canada youth-oriented pandemic recovery plan at the Canadian Council for Youth Prosperity.

鈥淎s a Chinese-born Canadian, my interests concern the Asian diaspora, with anti-Asian hate crimes skyrocketing since the onset of COVID-19,鈥� says Kate. 鈥淚n a post-pandemic world and with the influences of extremism via social media, young people are being impacted in ways we have never seen before. Community engagement plays an integral role. People are healthier when they feel connected, supported, friended and contributing to their own growth and community.鈥�

Further developing her leadership skills, Kate took part in the UN Association in Canada's Building Young Entrepreneurs Programme. While participating in the program, Kate developed Zillennial Women in Leadership, a community of practice supporting young emerging leaders.

鈥淎fter completing the United Nations Association in Canada鈥檚 Building Young Entrepreneurs Programme, it sparked my entrepreneurial interest,鈥� recalls Kate. 鈥淚 hope to start an initiative supporting and empowering people of diverse backgrounds to enact social change.鈥�

Currently, Kate serves as the director of Community Programs at University Settlement, supporting newcomers, children, youth and seniors. She has taken her passion of community building into volunteer roles as an active member of the community, volunteering on the Board of Directors for the Toronto Council on Aging and Toronto Intergenerational Partnerships.

Kate hopes to inspire future changemakers at 91亚色 to pursue leadership positions in community building. 鈥淎s a BIPOC woman, I want to be a role model and influence other generations to disrupt the status quo,鈥� she says. 鈥淣ow is the opportunity to unite and celebrate equity, diversity, and inclusion.鈥�

Kate was named one of 91亚色's 2023 Top 30 Alumni Under 30. Learn more about the program and the impressive young alumni on the list.

Original article by Division of Advancement - Alumni and Friends.

The post Alumni Spotlight: Kate Haiyun Mossop (MLCE 鈥�21) appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Community is at the heart of education. What and how students learn directly reflects our communities and the many societal factors that play a role in the individual and collective learning experience.

As a nurturing ground for future educational leaders, the Faculty of Education at 91亚色 recognizes this profound role that the community plays. By creating an inclusive learning environment with expert educators passing along their direct experience working with diverse populations and designing culturally relevant pedagogy, our aspiring educators are equipped with the practical knowledge and cultural sensitivity needed to make a positive impact on their own students, both inside a classroom and in the world beyond.

And for alumni like Korina Thomas-Reynolds, co-founder of Roots to Routes Academy 鈥� an independent school offering high school credits specifically designed for minority students 鈥� and one of 91亚色鈥檚 Top 30 Under 30 for 2023, it was her time at 91亚色 that helped her understand the important role she and her classmates play in addressing the disconnect between schools and the communities they serve.

By mobilizing mutually beneficial community partnerships as vehicles for experiential learning, the Faculty is bridging academic and scholarly work with real action, allowing students to put their education into practice in non-traditional ways as more than educators, but as mentors. For example, through , 91亚色 students help youth from low-income families or who are newcomers to Canada overcome traditional barriers and support their success as students. Opportunities such as this contribute to our students鈥� preparation as aspiring educators and put them up close and personal with the world their future students will soon venture into themselves.

Throughout all that we do is also a pervasive and sustained commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and decolonization. As outlined in the new Five-Year Strategic Plan (2023-2027), the Faculty of Education engages in meaningful research that takes marginalized perspectives into account and is built upon social justice to contribute to the improvement and betterment of the world around us as we evolve our understanding of learning and teaching.

One powerful way this commitment has manifested at the Faculty is through the . Inspired by a beloved teacher who came to Canada from India and re-accredited at 91亚色 to continue her passion, the award is given out annually to first-year students who are new to Canada or the first in their family to attend postsecondary education and who demonstrate financial need. By carrying on Mrs. Ahuja鈥檚 incredible legacy and celebrating the many unique stories of our students, the award and its recipients will be drivers for ongoing positive change in education.

To celebrate the Faculty鈥檚 50^th聽anniversary and the many ways our leaders are supporting the future leaders in education, we have created聽a new four-part video series聽showcasing our bold leadership in education which helps create more just communities.

The post Learn how 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Education is inspiring tomorrow鈥檚 educational leaders and changemakers appeared first on Faculty of Education.

Alumni Spotlight was originally published on the Alumni & Friends blog on July 29, 2021.

Mikhaela Gray-Beerman (BA '14, MEd '18), one of 91亚色鈥檚 Top 30 Changemakers Under 30, is an anti-trafficking advocate, researcher, and educator, as well as a non-profit consultant. The work she does is informed by the many inspiring women and girls who have entrusted their stories with her.

Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing crimes in the world, and there is no community that is immune from this injustice.

"When my mom was in elementary school, her best friend went missing,鈥� says Mikhaela. 鈥淎bout eight years ago, they were reconnected, and my mom began to learn her story. At the age of 14, my mom鈥檚 friend was trafficked for sex in Canada.鈥� When she heard the story, Mikhaela was shocked and heartbroken. She began asking questions and doing research to better understand the realities of human trafficking. The more she learned, the more she was compelled to fight this injustice and to find ways to prevent other people from being trafficked locally and globally.

In 2013, Mikhaela joined United Freedom, an anti-human trafficking committee, to raise awareness and funds for a local and a global anti-trafficking organization. Through their events, she learned about an organization called  in India. The work they were doing to support individuals post-trafficking was unparalleled. 鈥淚 hoped to learn from their efforts and share their practices in Canada in order to strengthen our approaches to reintegration and rehabilitation,鈥� she explains.

While completing her Master of Education at 91亚色, Mikhaela travelled to India to visit Mahima Homes and listened to the stories of women and girls who had been trafficked as part of her thesis research. 鈥淭hey shared their stories of resilience and their dreams for the future. The freedom fighters - the women and girls who shared their stories with me - inspired me through their courage, their desire to support others, and their outlook on life.鈥�

Upon returning to Canada, Mikhaela was invited to share with the Federal Government learnings from her research on human trafficking in India with the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. 鈥淚t was a privilege and honour to be invited to advocate on behalf of the women and girls who had entrusted me with their stories,鈥� she confesses.

鈥淒uring the following months, I was deeply troubled in my workplace and volunteer settings; I felt disconnected from my purpose. I believe the most important thing in life is relationships, and after the tragic passing of , I was moved by the immeasurable impact that she made in her 20 years of life. I wondered, 鈥淗ow can I use my time, skills and knowledge to fight for justice and to love other people authentically?鈥� Shortly afterward, I left my career in the post-secondary sector to work in an environment where I could raise awareness on human trafficking and journey alongside survivors full-time.鈥�

Today, Mikhaela is an anti-trafficking advocate, educator and researcher. She helps raise awareness as a preventive measure and conducts research to disseminate new knowledge on human trafficking. She connects with individuals who have been impacted by trafficking and supports organizations that are dedicated to ending exploitation in various ways.

 In January 2020, she launched a  and more recently a  called Freedom Fighters: Code Gray which aims to inform the public on human trafficking and empower them to take action to prevent human trafficking in their communities.

鈥淚 believe that it is incredibly important to support survivor-led initiatives and to use our time and resources to partner meaningfully with individuals who have lived experience.鈥�

Mikhaela is now the chair of Untied Freedom, serves as an advisory team member at , and as a board member at , a survivor-led organization committed to ending sexual exploitation in Canada. She is currently working as a consultant for  and . Mikhaela has been published in the Journal for Teaching & Learning, and she authored a chapter in the book Global Citizenship Education: Challenges and Successes recently published by the University of Toronto Press. Whether it鈥檚 interacting with individuals impacted by sex trafficking and sexual exploitation through care outreach, doing research, advising anti-trafficking organizations or doing advocacy work, she is always looking for ways to make herself useful in the fight to end human trafficking. 鈥淢y work is rooted in the belief that every human being has value and worth,鈥� Mikhaela explains.

鈥淚f you look at the sheer statistics of human trafficking in the world, it can be overwhelming. I want to highlight that each number represents a different person with a unique story and dream for the future. We need to continue to find ways to work together to shed light on this injustice and support individuals who have been impacted by exploitation in Canada and in the world."

To learn more about human trafficking and resources available in Canada visit:聽听补苍诲听. If there is immediate danger or if you suspect a child under 18 is being trafficked, call 911 or your local police service. For information and support, call Canada鈥檚 confidential Human Trafficking Hotline: 1-833-900-1010 or visit聽.

The post Alumni Spotlight: Mikhaela Gray-Beerman (BA '14, MEd '18) appeared first on Faculty of Education.