Alumni and Friends | York University

Alumni Spotlight: Yaakov Green (BSc '17)

Yaakov has been an agent of positive change since his time at York when he co-founded the Random Acts of Kindness Project with the mission of spreading positivity across campus and promoting an inclusive environment for York students. Now a now a fifth-year MD/MBA student at Yale University, he continues to actively contribute to his community.

Learn more about how Yaakov is dedicating his career to solving structural issues in healthcare.

Alumni Spotlight: Mahad Shahzad (BBA '20)

Inspired by his grandparents to help alleviate loneliness amongst seniors, Schulich alumnus Mahad Shahzad founded Chatting to Wellness during his first year of university. Now a national social enterprise, the organization fights to improve mental health amongst the elderly by connecting hundreds of volunteers with seniors across Canada who are looking for someone to talk to.

Learn more about how Mahad is creating positive change for seniors in Canada.

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Alumni Spotlight: Basma Elbahnasawy (BA ’18)

A passionate advocate for women’s empowerment, children's rights, and social justice, Lassonde School of Engineering alumna Basma Elbahnasawy is creating positive change by ensuring that youth, minority and vulnerable populations have access to necessities that empower them to build a better future.

Alumni Spotlight: Bri Darboh (BA ’15, MA ’18)

Alumna Bri Darboh has long been fascinated by the brain and human behaviour. A trailblazer in the clinical neuropsychology field and a lifelong learner pursuing a PhD and an MBA, Bri maintains a fervent devotion to leadership, social advocacy, and outreach in healthcare.

Alumni Spotlight: Jonelle Sills (BFA/BEd ’16)

Alumna Jonelle Sills credits York University with playing an integral role in her success. A lyric soprano whose performances led her to be on CBC’s list of Canada’s 30 hot classical musicians under 30 in 2020, Jonelle hopes to use her art to break down barriers and make classical music accessible to a wider and more diverse audience.

Alumni Spotlight: Syreeta Hector (MA ’16)

Highly accomplished dance artist and educator, Syreeta Hector, has worked for several internationally recognized companies including Toronto Dance Theatre. Her work, Black Ballerina, is based on her personal experience. The piece explores themes of identity, along with Syreeta’s Blackness and Indigeneity in relationship to classical ballet.

Alumni Spotlight: Kamika McLean (BA '02)

Having benefitted from mentorship throughout her own career, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies alumna Kamika McLean (BA '02) understands the value of having mentors who will offer their time to help support and encourage their mentees.
As a mentor in the Advancing YU program, she is proud to support other young Black women pursuing careers in law.

Alumni Spotlight: Robert R. Small, C.M. (BEd ’14)

Artist, author, and educator Robert R. Small is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader who gives speeches across Canada and delivers powerful workshops on the importance of Black History. He is the creator of the LEGACY poster which has been a staple seen across Canada for 28 years.

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From funding desperately needed scholarships and research to creating world-class facilities and groundbreaking teaching methods, donations to York University help make it one of Canada’s leading universities. Your generosity is helping create a new generation of Canadian leaders who will not only go on to change their community, but continue the tradition of supporting York University and its students in the future.