Alumni and Friends | York University

Alumni Spotlight: Alison Duke (MFA ’20)

A visionary, pioneer, and mentor, Alison Duke (MFA '20) is an award-winning Canadian filmmaker and a Black queer-woman who uses her craft to produce distinctive entertainment content, and most importantly to talk about social issues and ways to overcome them. Alison co-founded OYA Media Group in 2018 to continue producing unconventional content and support other emerging filmmakers. She has worked on some ground-breaking documentaries, feature films, and short films – all to give a voice to underrepresented communities.

Learn more about Alison Duke.

Introducing the Sexuality and Gender Advocacy (SAGA) Alumni Network

The Sexuality and Gender Advocacy Alumni Network is York’s recently launched 2SLGBTQIA+ alumni network. The network offers mentorship, programming, guidance and social opportunities for these alumni and student communities while promoting the values of equity, diversity and inclusion.

Learn more about the SAGA Alumni Network.

Featured Events

Grad caps being thrown into the air. Text reads: Welcome Class of 2022.

Alumni Spotlight: Emily Wright (BA ’17)

As a researcher and advocate for Indigenous Peoples, Glendon alumna Emily Wright is working to advance Truth and Reconciliation and make a meaningful difference for Toronto’s Indigenous communities in her role as an Indigenous youth research associate at the City of Toronto.

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 fifth-year MD/MBA student at Yale University, he continues to actively contribute to his community.

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.

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.

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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.