That said, Osgoode does a good job at levelling the playing field and creating opportunities for mentorship. I realized the way you can express sentiments of not belonging was by reaching out to people who are older, who have been where you have been and who are willing to help. I was able to interact with people who graduated from Osgoode, and even met seasoned lawyers like Peter Thurton, who took the time to mentor me. Osgoode brought in people to teach us how to apply to firms, write resumes and other things I didn’t know.  

Mentorship is important to me because I don’t think I would have been able to get to the places I’m in now, and would hope to get to, without the people who invested in me. It really helps you feel as though you belong. I think that inspired me to do the same for others and be transparent about it. I recognized that if you’re being “fed into”, it’s important to feed back into the community, because you never know where people are coming from. Mentorship needs to be genuine, so that’s what I’ve tried to do.   

When I was working at my own community hospital in Brampton, I was inspired to see the interplay between healthcare and the law and the ways it could be used to help patients and community hospitals excel. I saw that the hospital had programs that took the needs of patients into account and to create community programs. It redefined health care and what a hospital should do in the community, while also meeting the needs of immigrants and new families.   

I was motivated by the people around me who showed me of how you can use law and in various ways. One thing I’m inspired to do is create initiatives that enhance the patient care experience and where I can provide care for patients as a physician and use my knowledge as a lawyer to write and create policy that will motivate change beyond those encounters.   

Osgoode really inspired me and gave me the opportunity to bridge law and healthcare by, among other things, helping me find a placement at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. While I was there, I worked directly with ambassadors to redefine how these countries viewed human rights and achieve their human rights objectives. That was impactful because it reminded me that even though you are one person, you’re still able to make a very local change, but also a very global impact.”  

Corey is a mentor and advocate within the Black community. At Osgoode, Corey was active in the school’s Black Law Students Association (BLSA) where he was an academic mentor. In 2020, he was a member of the law school’s admissions team where he played an integral role in championing diversity by assisting in the selection of the class of 2024. Corey is currently completing his medical degree at Queen’s University and recently completed research in Sick Cell Disease at Toronto General Hospital and is a 2024 recipient of the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame for Medical Students.��

Christine Dikonguè (BA ‘14) is the Board Director of Francophone Television of Ontario and the Founder of African Women and Youth Innovation Network. She is creating positive change by empowering and advocating for youth, women and minorities while leveraging technology as a tool for inclusion and community building. 

Rayyan Ahmed is a first-year Computer Science student and a recipient of the Lassonde Scholarship. He earned a second-place finish at the Ontario Engineering Competition and went on to represent 91��ɫ nationally. Rayyan aspires to complete a master’s degree at 91��ɫ, specializing in Machine Learning.

A remarkable story of resilience, perseverance and passion: From living on streets and in youth shelters where they didn’t feel safe, to working midnight shifts, Mahamat and his brother have overcome many challenges to be where they are now. The brothers arrived in Canada at the age of 18 and 20, in 2016 and decided to start their new chapter in Montreal, a natural choice for the native French speakers.

Read more about Ahmat at News@91��ɫ.

A long-time 91��ɫ professor will join the Ivy League this fall, having been awarded a prestigious visiting professorship at Yale University.

Dawn Bazely who was the first in her family to go to University, is now a Professor in the Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, has been named this year’s recipient of the 2024-25 Fulbright Canada Distinguished Visiting Professorship, the foundation’s top Research Chair.

Read more about her accomplishment.

I was born and raised in Treaty 6 Territory, otherwise known as Saskatchewan. Specifically, I'm a member of the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan. My roots come from my father's ancestry, which is Plains Cree, Sioux, and Dakota, extending from the USA. My mother's ancestry is Plains Cree.

I'm a current 2nd year Psychology student within the Faculty of Health. I decided to leave my community and my family to access a better education, among other opportunities, at 91��ɫ. I chose this university when I was doing volunteer work in Peterborough, Ontario with a national experience called Katimavik when I was 18.

I'm really passionate about leadership, activism and helping people; particularly about Indigenous research and Indigenous communities. I got involved with The Centre for Indigenous Knowledges and Languages (CIKL) when I was searching for work study positions. I knew it was a place I wanted to work, so eventually I started a position as a Special Projects Assistant.

My experience working with CIKL has been amazing. My coworkers and associates are fantastic, and I’ve received many opportunities. I was given the freedom to do research on Indigenous communities, such as languages, Indigenous planning systems, and the smudging program. I've experienced myself grow more while being within this position than I ever thought imaginable. I've also become more interested in research, which wasn't the case before, and pursuing graduate studies.

The smudging program came to be when I was researching Indigenous medicines and how they were used. I wanted to create a new space and environment for Indigenous students, staff and faculty, including non-Indigenous people to convene, and be able to learn or practice decolonization. The program will hopefully always be there to support and help others, as well as ensure they have a safe space on campus.

I'm using the smudging program to create accessibility for students, staff, and faculty who want a safe space on campus which allows them to have access to traditional medicines. Through my need for helping people and my passion for leadership, especially within my position on CIKL, I’m building a program which I believe is the first of its kind at the University.

In addition to the work I’ve done with CIKL, I’m the Vice-President at the Indigenous Students Association at 91��ɫ, a President’s Ambassador, SHAY Ambassador at the Faculty of Health, and in the Promotions Committee of the Calumet College Council. I’m also a Project Leader at an Indigenous student group and non-for-profit, . The goal is to fight food insecurity for students on campus by providing them with educational opportunities about Indigenous food sovereignty.

I'm confident that through everything I am doing, I'm working hard to create a positive change. It's something that I've always dreamt of since I was a little girl living on the reservation in the middle of nowhere. I owe it to myself and my family to create this positive change, especially to help people and help my community.

Now, I'm living in a big city and a lot of, I'll call them res kids, can't even imagine that they can do that. I never thought I could. And I guess I'm doing it for all the little kids, showing them that you can actually make change and if you're committed to something you can obtain it. You can do anything! So that's something that motivates me, my inner child living on the reserve. My inner girl is always here and that's beautiful.