As part of the convocation ceremonies running all next week, recipients of the President’s Award of Excellence in Student Leadership will be recognized. Established in 1993, this annual award is given to undergraduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the McMaster community through excellence in student leadership.

Read more about this year’s exceptional recipients below. 

CASSIDY BERESKIN, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Bereskin is a recent graduate of the Honours Bachelor of Arts in Political Science program at McMaster. Since 2015, Bereskin has been leading Model City Hall, a Canadian non-profit organization that organizes the first conference in Canada to simulate municipal politics for youth at no cost.

“Leading and organizing the Model City Hall conference for six years has been a deeply rewarding experience for me,” says Bereskin. “Our free conference demystifies municipal politics and also helps to provide attendees with a toolkit of resources that they [can] bring back to their own communities, inspiring more youth to get involved and improve their political and civic engagement.”

Bereskin launched partnerships with the Department of Political Science, The Socrates Project, and Office of Community Engagement to bring Model City Hall into the university’s orbit. She also worked with professors to help build McMaster’s Digital Democracy Research Hub, where she became interested in topics about the relationship between social media and democracy.

In the fall 2021, Bereskin is excited to pursue her MSc and doctoral studies on a full-ride scholarship at the Oxford Internet Institute of the University of Oxford.

ELISA LEVI, MICHAEL G. DEGROOTE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Levi has spent her working life seeking ways to make a difference. Professionally, she started out in 2002 as a registered dietitian, has taken on several leadership roles with health-focused organizations, and advised many non-profit organizations across Canada in meaningfully working with Indigenous peoples. Next week, she is graduating from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine.

Committed to reciprocity, she sits on the boards of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund and the Anishnawbe Health Foundation as well as a financial trustee in her community for the Edkaagmik Nbiizh Neyaashiinigamiingninwag Edbendaagzijig Trust. During COVID-19, she leveraged her skillset to provide evidence-based information around vaccination and to address food insecurity through social accountability. “With a connection to food systems and Indigenous food sovereignty movements, I bought together Indigenous peoples to discuss the pandemic’s impact on our food system, specifically food access,” she says. “My role was as leader, convener and collaborator.”

Through her advocacy and collaboration, Levi helped mobilize over $25 million dollars in private philanthropic funds to provide food directly to rural Indigenous households in Canada. She also supported Maad’ookiing Mshkiki – Sharing Medicine a virtual hub that provides culturally relevant and trauma-informed information about COVID-19 vaccinations for First Nations, Inuit and Métis.

Levi is a proud Anishinaabe, mother of two and member of the Chippewas of Nawash. Following graduation, Elisa will be completing family medicine residency training at McMaster’s department of Family Medicine in the rural stream located in Owen Sound. Levi holds a Master of Public Health from Lakehead University and Bachelor of Science with a focus on Nutrition from Ryerson University.

JET’AIME FRAY-SAMUEL, FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Fray-Samuel is an avid contributor to her community. As an undergraduate student, she joined several campus clubs, taking on positions such as year representative, treasurer, vice president and president; in addition to volunteering for a non-profit organization that helps new coming youth with support academically and socially.

During Fray-Samuel’s time as a work/study student in the Accounts Receivables office, she played a pivotal role in developing projects that enhanced the students’ experience, including student focus groups and training for systems.

“I was the only student in several years to not be enrolled in the faculty of business, and I was determined to make the accessibility and understanding of finances easier for students,” she says. “One project I hope to accomplish by the time I graduate, is Mosaic training for students, so that they have the knowledge necessary to successfully read their student account and progress through their years at McMaster without confusion.”

JOSIAH BUTT, MICHAEL G. DEGROOTE SCHOOL OF MEDICINE

Butt is a Nehiyaw/Plains Cree medical student, graduating from the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine and will be joining the department of Anesthesiology at McMaster as an incoming resident.

Butt’s work in Indigenous health is focused on the Sioux Lookout and Weeneebayko Health Authorities in Northern Ontario.  He is closely involved in the pandemic planning and resource allocation for these regions and continues to work on elevating the standard of care for fly-in communities.  During the past year, he published COVID-19 guidelines tailored for healthcare workers in rural communities and managed a large multi-million-dollar government contract for critical care supply in the North.

“This year, the pandemic ushered me into a task-force management position with the Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority and Weeneebayko Area Health Authority,” he says. “The process deepened my appreciation for strong teams and reinforced for me that there are times to lead and times to follow.”

At McMaster, Butt is involved with Indigenous Health curriculum planning for the Faculty of Medicine and helps coordinate the Medical School Entrance Interview workshop for Indigenous students. He is also a member of several advisory committees for Indigenous sovereignty and curriculum in the Faculty of Health Sciences.

KWASI ADu-POKU, FACULTY OF SCIENCE

Adu-Poku is a graduating kinesiology student who was involved in several aspects of campus life, including initiatives to support mental health and fight anti-black racism. He was also involved in athletics and campus life activities, from the men’s basketball team to Welcome Week.

Adu-Poku used his platform as a student leader to fight against anti-black racism through moderating several panels across Hamilton, speaking to news outlets, and helping choose where the new Black Student Services Office would be located. In his final year at McMaster, Adu-Poku used his varsity & mental health experiences to launch The Reach Series— an organization geared towards personal development through workshops and panels for people across Canada.

“The Reach Series in itself is the summation of many obstacles I have overcome, and how I’ve used my platform as a student-athlete to empower people from all walks of life,” he says. “I was able to help many see the light in themselves and raise over $350 for community organizations globally.”

Adu-Poku will be attending Ryerson University to complete a Master’s in Public Policy & Administration in the fall, where he will pursue a career in policy.

NINA MOSS, FACULTY OF SCIENCE

Moss is graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour. During her time at McMaster, she contributed to the campus community as a residence orientation representative during Welcome Week, a teaching assistant for Mac IntroPsych and a campus tour guide.

While Moss was involved in many extracurricular activities, she says her most meaningful leadership experience was her role as a mentor for the Archway Program, helping 41 first-year students transition to university life during COVID-19.

“Knowing that my students were starting this major chapter of their lives isolated from campus, it was important to me that I created a welcoming environment,” she says. “The mentorship I received in first year was a large reason why I’ve had such an amazing experience at McMaster, so I cannot be prouder to graduate knowing that I gave everything I had to being a good leader and mentor to my students.”

This fall, Moss will be continuing her education at the University of British Columbia where she will be completing her Bachelor of Education. 

PARDIS GHANEIAN, FACULTY OF SCIENCE

During her studies at McMaster, Ghaneian volunteered for dozens of campus organizations, spearheaded several student professional development events and spent three years of working within Housing and Conference Services (HCS).

With her success and knowledge as an Experienced Community Advisor (ECA), Ghaneian played an important role as an Archway mentor to help guide first-year students through an unconventional year. As an upper-year mentor, Ghaneian worked alongside a team of student leaders to foster a safe and inclusive living-learning environment for all first-year students in residence. This includes support for students’ social, emotional, academic and physical wellbeing.

“With additional barriers due to the pandemic, many students struggled to reach out and access help, and I wanted to offer my support and empathy during these challenging times,” she says. “Through Archway, I motivated and helped first-year students navigate a tenuous year and have taken part in their growth journey at McMaster.”

Building on her Honors Bachelor of Science in psychology, neuroscience and behaviour, Ghaneian is currently a virtual shadowing intern at UT Southwestern Medical Centre, where she accompanies Dr. Raymond Fowler’s practice.