BROOKFIELD PETER F. BRONFMAN SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

The Brookfield Bronfman Gold and Leadership Scholarships are awarded to Woodsworth College students in their final year of study who have demonstrated leadership qualities, community involvement, and high academic achievement. Congratulations to this year's recipients for all they have achieved during their time at U of T!

Academics, advocacy and community building are very important to Marley, and she has been influential in these areas through her extracurriculars. Marley has been a member of the Woodsworth College Student Association board, first as First Year Students’ Director and then as Community Outreach and Sustainability Director. She was also a member of College Council. 

Marley has also contributed significantly to improve quality of life for individuals with diabetes. For the last three years, she served as President of the Colleges Diabetes Network at U of T, which empowers young adults with diabetes through peer support. She has also been involved with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation in several roles. In addition, Marley co-chairs a program at Hillel that provides a safe space for Jewish LGBTQ + students and allies. In addition, she is a teaching assistant for Biomedical Ethics through the Socrates Project program. After graduation, she is planning to pursue a PhD in philosophy and bioethics.

Matida entered U of T through the Transitional Year Program as a mature student. She draws on her experience to serve as a mentor in the Family Care Office, where she provides support and information on how to balance academic life with parenting duties as well as how to navigate and access resources. She is also a chairperson of the Parent Council at her child’s school.  

Matida’s career goal is to continue fighting for the rights and wellbeing of women and girls, as well as pursuing a career in law or social justice. In 2011, she co-founded an organization, ‘The Girls’ Agenda, which is a well-recognized community-based organization that works to advance the reproductive health concerns of girls and women. TGA advocates for investments in health and education of girls and the elimination of harmful traditional practices such as child marriage. The organization currently works in The Gambia, and Matida offers remote support when needed. In the future, Matida hopes to expand TGA into an NGO and target wider audiences across Africa.

Mike is a Double Major in Psychology and Cognitive Science, with Minors in Buddhism, Psychology and Mental Health. He came to Woodsworth through the Millie Rotman Shime Academic Bridging Program, which bridges the gap between students’ prior education and the requirements of first-year university courses. Mike was very proud to have had a paper accepted and presented at The Cognitive Science and Artificial Intelligence Students’ Association Confluence Conference, which highlights multidisciplinary undergraduate research on cognition and the mind. His paper was the product of integrating themes from two courses he was taking, showing a deep passion and comprehension in his studies.  

Mike has been a Peer Mentor for the College’s Bridging Program and has volunteered at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with his dog in their Pet Therapy Program. He also held a work study position at the CAMH last summer, which will be valuable experience as he pursues his graduate school goals. After his studies, he plans to become a psychotherapist.

Currently an Indigenous Studies Specialist, Nicole also came to Woodsworth through the Millie Rotman Shime Academic Bridging Program. Prior to coming to Woodsworth, Nicole worked as an Aboriginal Criminal Court Worker for Aboriginal Legal Services. The program allowed her to integrate her studies with her previous court work, which was highly practical and relevant for her program.

At U of T, she started a Work-Study position where she was responsible for the Indigenous Students’ Association Garden at Hart House. The garden is a sacred space for U of T's Indigenous community, where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people can go to learn about spiritual ceremonies involving native flora. Through her position, Nicole became an active member of the Association. She was also honoured with one of the positions as First Story teller while working along with other U of T students. After graduation, Nicole plans to attend law school and practice law.

As a Molecular Genetics Major, Stephanie is proud that she has been able to balance academics and research during her time at U of T. She received second-place in a Canadian undergraduate life sciences competition, which students from across Canada competed in over two days.  

Stephanie is enthusiastic about giving back to her community and has been a mentor for first-year undergraduate students. She also started a mentorship program for undergraduate students to connect with upper-year and graduate students. In addition, Stephanie was also the co-founder of HELICIES, a student-run organization that hosts free review sessions for first-year life science courses. Moreover, she reintroduced MicroVision, a free student journal that discusses new research in terms that are easy to understand for all readers. After graduating, Stephanie plans to continue her studies and work in academia.

Miya is a Molecular Genetics and Microbiology Specialist. Her research is in the field of microbiology and in the School of the Environment to better understand the diverse relationships that humans have with the earth. 

She started a volunteer network called The Kindness Club that connects volunteers to non-profit organizations and grassroots initiatives. In 2020, it had 2000 volunteers in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Toronto. It was turned into a social enterprise and Ulife student group, and received a grant of $3000 from Invest Ottawa. Miya also started a Ulife Microbiology club to spread awareness of environmental microbiology. In addition, she is a mentor and alumna of the Technovation program, a competition to develop apps that addresses the United Nation’s goals to empower young women to pursue entrepreneurial roles in STEM disciplines.