Shayla Henderson, BEd ’26, recipient of the Sylvia Cann Memorial Award and Dean Donna Kotsopoulos
Spring awards ceremony recognizes exceptional student achievement
For Adiba Jafar, one of 58 award recipients at Western Education’s spring awards ceremony, the event marking the end of her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology was bittersweet.
“I have a lot of good feelings about my time in the Faculty of Education; it feels like an entire era that I spent here,” said Jafar. “I’m looking forward to the future; I’m a little bit nervous but hopeful.”
Jafar, who received the W.A. Townshend Gold Medal in Education for having the highest academic standing in her program of study, alongside two peers, said that her strong network of mentors and peers catalyzed her success in the program.
“I am really honoured and very grateful to receive this award. It wouldn’t have been possible without the support of a lot of great professors, instructors, supervisors and peers,” reflected Jafar.
“This support network was the best part of my experience at Western. I’m a big believer that the people you meet during your lifetime really change the direction and course of your life, so they would be my highlight.”
The annual spring awards ceremony held at the Faculty of Education building coincides with the faculty’s convocation day and celebrates student achievement in both teacher education and graduate education programs.
To kick off the event, Dean Donna Kotsopoulous addressed almost 200 attendees with remarks that welcomed students to our alumni family, encouraged reflection on their achievements and called students to carry the vision and values of the faculty forward.
“With your demonstrated commitment to excellence in education, I am confident that wherever you choose to go next, each of you will have a remarkable impact,” said Kotsopoulos.
“Regardless of where your path takes you, we trust that you will carry out our faculty’s vision of transforming education, transforming lives. We also hope that you will carry forward our guiding values of excellence, integrity, equity, belonging, social justice and kindness in all that you do.”
Kotsopoulos also thanked the faculty’s generous donors who make the awards program possible, including Dee Ivanisevic, Sue Bruyns, Elizabeth Dorner and Usha Tripathi, who attended the event to celebrate their award recipients.
Recipient of the Sylvia Cann Memorial Award, Shayla Henderson, BEd ’26, explained that being recognized for both academic standing and teaching skills was a point of pride after a circuitous journey to teaching.
“It means a lot to win an award today. I’ve worked very hard, I’ve been through a lot,” said Henderson. “It took me a long time to figure out how to get here, so it’s really meaningful that I was chosen for this award.”
Henderson added that the opportunity to learn from diverse peers and to participate in an exchange trip enriched her learning experience and created memories that will stay with her for years to come.
“It has been awesome to come together with people that have come from so many different walks of life. I’ve learned so much from my peers here,” said Henderson.
“I was lucky enough to be chosen to go on a trip to France and learn at the University of Orleans. It was very valuable to be immersed in the culture, and learn about the best ways to teach French, while being surrounded by my peers. It was something I’ll never forget, and I never would have been able to do a trip like that without being here at Western.”
