The 91亚色 Education Alumni Network (YUEAN) has been named the 2025 Network of the Year by the 91亚色 Alumni Board (YUAB). This annual award is given to a network that has demonstrated its dedication and commitment to 91亚色 through engagement, impact, and mentorship. Through influential programming, YUEAN has strengthened relationships, expanded professional pathways, and created opportunities for meaningful dialogue within the 91亚色 community. 

鈥淪electing the Network of the Year is always a challenging task, but the Education Alumni Network鈥檚 impact was undeniable,鈥� reflects Ali Badruddin (BBA 鈥�09), Chair of the Networks Committee on the 91亚色 Alumni Board. 鈥淭heir commitment to mentorship, leadership development and inclusive programming has strengthened the 91亚色 alumni community.鈥濃�� 

A central focus of the network鈥檚 efforts this year was the establishment of its mentorship program in partnership with the Faculty of Education Student Association (FESA) and the Dean of the Faculty of Education, Robert Savage. Alumni and students were paired based on professional goals, teaching interests and areas of specialization, creating one-on-one relationships rooted in guidance, support and shared experience.鈥�� 

鈥淭his work of our alumni is an invaluable part of our wider supports to our current students,鈥� says Robert Savage, dean of the Faculty of Education. 鈥淥ur students benefit enormously from all initiatives, and particularly the mentoring provided by the recent direct experience of our alumni. It has been great to help co-create a structure for this win-win for all involved, and I am delighted to see YUEAN rightly recognised for all the excellent work they do.鈥濃�� 

Beyond mentorship, YUEAN curated thoughtful and impactful events that connected and engaged a wide community of educators. This year鈥檚 highlight was the alumni panel on AI, careers and digital learning, which brought together alumni experts to discuss how emerging technologies and evolving career landscapes are reshaping the field of education and strengthen the bridge between students and alumni working in leadership roles across the sector. 

鈥淵UEAN鈥檚 accomplishments this year reflect not only dedication, but vision,鈥� says Dennis Garces (BA 鈥�92), Vice-Chair of the Networks Committee on the 91亚色 Alumni Board. 鈥淭hey have created opportunities that bridge generations of educators and create a true sense of connection. We are thrilled to celebrate their achievements.鈥濃�� 

Through mentorship, meaningful events and storytelling that centres the experiences of educators, the Education Alumni Network has demonstrated the transformative power of alumni leadership. The 91亚色 Alumni Board congratulates the entire Education Alumni Network Leaders:  

• Jason Singh (BEd 鈥�11), Chair   
• Esther Martinez (BEd 鈥�21, BA 鈥�21, MEd 鈥�24), Vice-Chair  
• Blessing Owusu (BA 鈥�17, BEd 鈥�19, MEd 鈥�24), Secretary  
• Mizgin Semsur (MEd 鈥�21, BEd 鈥�19, BA 鈥�17), Co-Director of Engagement and Events  
• Jennifer Tran (BA 鈥�23), Co-Director of Engagement and Events  
• Yasmine Mensah (BA 鈥�20), Alumni Engagement Officer 

For more information about this award and the Alumni Networks program, contact Yasmine Mensah, Alumni Engagement Officer at mensahy@yorku.ca.

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Lucy Horvath (BA 鈥�06) was volunteering at St. Christopher House, an agency serving diverse communities in West End Toronto, when her colleagues recommended that she apply to a unique access program at 91亚色 for first-generation students. She had no idea what these older women could see in her 鈥� leadership that could be augmented by higher education 鈥� but today, the successful businesswoman is glad she followed their advice. The Bridging the Solitudes program opened a window to post-secondary education and endless possibilities.

鈥淚f I hadn鈥檛 gone to university,鈥� Horvath says, 鈥淚 would not have pushed it, because I wouldn鈥檛 have known what it could give me. Those four years 鈥� what I got out of them was a lot.鈥�

Now the co-owner and manager of a thriving Toronto landscape design and construction business she runs with her husband, Horvath wasn鈥檛 the only student to benefit from the Bridging the Solitudes program, which in 2002 admitted two cohorts of nine students from marginalized communities across the city to a three-year CURA (Community University Research Alliance) developed by 91亚色 in association with Seneca College, four labour unions and 10 community partners. The goal of this unique project was 鈥渢o bring to university and college young people who are under-represented in higher education and experience barriers to entering key occupations and professions.鈥� Funding came from a variety of sources, including the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).聽All who were selected to participate in the project had the desire and ability to succeed at university but, due to a variety of personal factors and systemic barriers, found it extremely difficult to pursue post-secondary study.

For professor Carl James (PhD 鈥�86), and his then research associate Leanne Taylor (MA 鈥�99, PhD 鈥�06), the program presented a unique opportunity to study the impact of higher education on first-generation students and their communities.

His observations, compiled over 20 years, have just been published by Routledge. First-Generation Student Experiences in Higher Education: Counterstories features the accounts of eight students who were the first in their families to attend university, participants in a program that was designed 鈥� in many ways as an 鈥渋ntervention鈥� 鈥� to support young people who might otherwise have been unable to attend because of their social, cultural or financial circumstances.

A sociologist by training, James holds the Jean Augustine Chair in Education, Community and Diaspora in the Faculty of Education, and is the senior advisor on Equity and Representation in the division of Equity, People and Culture at 91亚色. Once he became involved in the Bridging the Solitudes program, he wanted to provide an opportunity for students who could succeed in university but would require support, even beyond their financial needs. That support included partial scholarships and the infrastructure for the students to see them through to graduation. 鈥淚 work with youth, and I鈥檓 very interested in that whole process of learning and how youth become the people they are,鈥� says James, recipient of the 2022 Killam Prize for Social Science, which the Canada Council awards to Canadian scholars making significant contributions to their fields.

His new book, co-authored with Taylor, presents several stories of students who participated in that support program at 91亚色. It highlights their various strategies, challenges and successes, as well as their complex relationships with community, family and other networks that were essential in shaping their lives and career trajectories.

Read the full article written by Neil Armstrong in the .

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What year did you graduate and what program(s) were you in? 
I graduated from 91亚色鈥檚 Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Honours Psychology and Bachelor of Education (BEd) concurrently in 2019. I graduated with a Master of Education (MEd) in 2020. 

How did the Bachelor of Education, and eventually the Master of Education program, prepare you for your career? 

When it comes down to it, all my programs have prepared me for my career. I can thank the Faculty of Education for preparing me with a responsive student-centred pedagogy and for teaching me the importance of knowing, honouring, and connecting with students before anything else. Both education programs also helped me develop a more critical understanding of the role of the teacher--calling on me to be thoughtful about the practices I continue in my classroom and to consider the power, privilege, and historical contexts involved in choices that affect my students. 

What extracurricular activities were you involved with during your time in the Faculty of Education and how did this help you become a better educator? 

I was fortunate to have served on a variety of Faculty Councils and governance committees in roles like Student Senator and  President of the Faculty of Education Students鈥� Association, which offers opportunities for current students to serve as representatives of the University. I was also a part of the Student Health Ambassadors (SHAY) at 91亚色. 

All of my extracurricular activities offered opportunities to help others and showed me how people use what they have and where they are in their lives to make a difference for others. Now as an educator, I focus on how I can show up and make a difference for my students. 

What did you learn during your time with 鈥榁accine Hunters Canada鈥� (VHC) that will help you in your teaching career?

My experience at VHC taught me the importance of volunteer work and of being selfless in order to help others. I always tell my students to try to get involved in the community in any way that they can as it is a good way to make connections and to make meaningful change that has a lasting impact.

 is a community of volunteers whose mission is to help Canadians navigate the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, understand the complexities of vaccine eligibility, and connect eligible Canadians with appointment opportunities. 

What鈥檚 next for you, personally or professionally? 

I鈥檝e only just started teaching. I鈥檓 certainly looking forward to more opportunities to build communities and connect with students.聽聽

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For 91亚色 alumni Ryan Fuentes (BSW 鈥�17) and Jonatan Fuentes (BA 鈥�14, BED鈥�15, MEd 鈥�20), growing up in Rexdale meant that a post-secondary education wasn鈥檛 the obvious path either would take. Although obtaining a degree wasn鈥檛 a certainty for either of them, both brothers graduated and now leverage their 91亚色 education to help in uplifting, empowering and advocating for equitable education through their social justice platform Education on Trial. In addition to this joint venture, each have dedicated their careers 鈥� Ryan a social worker and Jonatan an educator with the Toronto District School Board and a Black student graduation coach for 91亚色 Region District School Board 鈥� and their lives to the cause. Through consulting, speaking engagements and working with other individuals and organizations, they strive to educate and connect professionals, youth and families to a community of support.

Jonatan and Ryan founded Education on Trial in 2011 to help facilitate conversations about anti-racism and anti-oppression in education. Through speaking engagements, programming for youth, parents and the community, they have had difficult discussions of how marginalization is created and reproduced in society. Their drive to make change in their community and the world is not only necessary, but their passion to make things right is infectious and empowering.

Education on Trial grew from the Fuentes鈥� brothers鈥� experiences as Black men living in marginalized parts of Toronto 鈥� experiences that are unfortunately all too common. 鈥淪eeing that many of my peers had not made it to post-secondary, I very much felt their weight on my shoulders,鈥� says Ryan.

But rather than weighing him down, the realities of his community surroundings and his lived experiences propelled and fueled him to strive for more than what was expected of him. Both brothers reminisce fondly on moments they spent at 91亚色鈥檚 Keele campus.

鈥淵ou know, the second floor of Scott library? I would stand there in the middle thinking wow, I鈥檓 really here, it was just so inspiring,鈥� says Jonatan.

But the brothers鈥� shared fondness for their time at 91亚色 went far beyond the beautiful architecture on campus and leaned heavily towards the key relationships they each made. These connections helped to shape not only their educational career while at 91亚色 but influenced their lives post-graduation as well.

鈥淯niversity was a transformative experience鈥�, says Ryan. He remembers that 鈥渁t first it was very intimidating, being in a post-secondary environment where there's not a lot of leaders that look like me.鈥� But with the help of two guiding forces in his program, Ryan flourished as a student and eventually returned to 91亚色 to complete his masters in Social Work. Carmen Perillo, an instructor in the School of Social Work, was instrumental in shaping Ryan鈥檚 experience of university, solidifying within himself that he belonged and that he could indeed succeed. Both Carmen and Maurice Poon, Director and Associate Professor of the School of Social work, were instrumental in shaping his career path and influential to Ryan, a fact he鈥檚 grateful for to this day.

Not unlike his brother, Jonatan made an important connection at 91亚色 that he still holds dear to this day. His mentor, Faculty of Education Professor Carl James, was named senior advisor on equity and representation to the university as part of the Division of Equity earlier this year. 鈥淗e has been inspiring and influential, connecting me to different resources that I wouldn't have otherwise to provide me with opportunities. And he continues to be a mentor even now that I'm done. So I鈥檓 really, really grateful for that relationship,鈥� says Jonatan.

 To learn more about Education on Trial, .

Article republished from the 91亚色 U Alumni & Friends Alumni Spotlight series.

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