Monday, March 20, 2023

The University of Toronto Student Leadership Award  (UTSLA) continues U of T’s long-standing tradition of recognizing outstanding student leadership, volunteer service, and commitment to the university.

This tradition began with the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award, which ran from 1994 - 2019 and was named in honour of Mr. Gordon Cressy, former Vice-President, Development and University Relations. In naming the award, the University of Toronto Alumni Association (UTAA) recognized Cressy's leadership and volunteer service across various spheres, as well as his term at the university. During the award’s 25-year history, it celebrated the exemplary contributions of more than 4,000 students whose commitment and volunteerism had a lasting impact on their peers and the university.

The Faculty of Law recipients of the 2023 University of Toronto Student Leadership Award are:

Meaza Damte

Meaza’s leadership has enhanced many aspects of student life at the Faculty of Law, including accessibility, equitable admissions recruitment, community-building, and the addition of a mandatory Indigenous Law course for 1L students.

Hussein Fawzy

Hussein Fawzy

Hussein has demonstrated a deep commitment to student mentorship and advocacy in the areas of academic success, mooting, accessibility, and law recruitment.

Tomas Jirousek

Tomas Jirousek

Tomas’ commitment to racial justice and equity were his main motivators for attending law school. He is most proud of his leadership roles with the Indigenous Law Students' Association (ISLA) and Indigenous Law Journal.

Paul Mohan

Paul Mohan

Paul’s commitment to creating a welcoming environment for Black Law students has inspired his work with the Students’ Law Society (SLS) and the Black Law Students’ Association (BLSA).

Sana Najafi

Sana Najafi

A fierce advocate for students and social justice, Sana led the development of a Ramadan Exam Accommodation Policy, and increased access to justice for artists through her volunteer work at the Artists’ Legal Advice Service.