By Lucianna Ciccocioppo
(Feb. 23, 2010) Scholarships, awards and prizes are "contributions to the Faculty of Law that are valued well beyond the monetary value," says third-year student, Ben Kates. "It affects the student body as a whole, and helps provide a diverse student body."
Kates, who won the Goodmans Prize in Administrative Law, was speaking at a donor and awards-recipient recognition event on Feb. 23 that brought together supporters of the law school and the grateful beneficiaries.
Zeynab Moayyed, class of 2009, who is currently articling at Torys, received the Ting Sum Tang Memorial Prize in Immigration Law in her final year of law school.
"It meant a lot to me, to have my hard work and efforts working with Prof. Ayelet Shachar on this paper recognized." Moayyed tracked recent developments in Canada's immigration policy, and found countries such as Australia and New Zealand "are catching up in terms of how competitive we are in attracting top talent."
Says Moayyed: "It was interesting work and it added to the field in this new area."
Sinziana Tugulea received several prizes for her academic achievements. "It was very helpful," says Tugulea. "It's incredibly rewarding for students, and they are certainly not taken for granted."
This is exactly why the McCaughey family donated to the law school after the death of their daughter, Diane McCaughey, who was a law student in the 1980s.
"Diane would be so proud to know she's helping these students," says her mother, Betty McCaughey. "She had scholarships over the years, and she appreciated them."
"She couldn't have managed without additional support, "says Diane's sister, Sandra Bassett, "just I like received, so any assistance is welcome."
Nancy Jo Stitt, class of 1993, and director of student programs at Goodmans LLP, knows very well how crucial financial support can be. "To continue to be the law school that it is, and to continue to attract the students that it does, U of T Faculty of Law must be accessible to students who want to come here…Any student should be able to be part of this group no matter what their financial situation may be."
The recognition reception in Flavelle's Rowell Room drew about 45 guests on a snowy, slushy night.
Dean Mayo Moran ended the formal section with a warm thank you to donors. "We're so lucky to have such outstanding students here in part because you all have helped the students come here."
Take a look at our photo gallery of the evening.
Photos by Diana Balogh-Tyszko
