Valedictorians & Award Winners

Faculty of Community & Health — Honours Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation

Ofure Ayere says she was shy and quiet when she started studying at Seneca Polytechnic – but you’d never know that by talking to her today. Ofure threw herself into life at Seneca, particularly through the Seneca Student Federation, where she rose from working at the front desk to a co-ordinator role to a vice-president position. Her passion for helping others also shines through in her volunteer work with the Canadian Red Cross, her church and Seneca, where she mentored new students and served as president of African Community Seneca. Ofure credits her faith as a core component of her development and achievements. Utilizing HELIX, Seneca’s innovation and entrepreneurship incubator, she recently launched a startup that applies the principles of therapeutic recreation to promote holistic well-being.

Seneca Nanji Foundation School of Nursing — Honours Bachelor of Science – Nursing

Thalia Drabant had a degree in public health and was pursuing a career in that field when her life was turned upside-down by her mother’s cancer diagnosis. Seeing the care and compassion of the nurses who looked after her mother led Thalia to realize that what she really wanted was to become a nurse. At Seneca Polytechnic, Thalia became a respected role model for her peers, both through her formal work as a lab assistant and through many informal mentoring and tutoring opportunities. She credits her time at Seneca and in clinical placements with improving her skills in adaptability, communication, critical thinking and decisiveness. Thalia now works as a nurse at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, where she helps others during some of the most challenging moments of their lives.

Seneca Business — Honours Bachelor of Commerce – Accounting & Finance

Peter Iliescu’s time at Seneca Polytechnic has been marked by academic, athletic and leadership excellence. He has been a member of the Seneca Sting varsity cross-country team, coached the extramural soccer team and served as president of the Student Athletic Association – experiences he credits with building his leadership skills. Peter has received numerous athletic leadership awards within Seneca and at the provincial level, including being a four-time winner of the Newnham Recreation Leadership Team MVP award. This year, Peter completed a thesis on the impact of artificial intelligence on accounting education. He works at a tech startup as a financial analyst and plans to continue supporting Seneca’s cross-country and extramural soccer teams as a coach.

Faculty of Continuing Education — Industrial Pharmaceutical Technology

Vajiheh Modaresisaryazdi and her husband immigrated to Canada to explore new opportunities and experience life in a new country with their children. Although the move meant leaving behind the thriving pediatric practice she had built over more than 30 years, Vajiheh embraced the challenge of starting over with optimism and determination. Vajiheh enrolled at Seneca Polytechnic as a first step toward expanding her career into the pharmaceutical industry. With a strong foundation in clinical research and medical education, she recently contributed to Seneca’s Clinical Research program as a professor. She looks forward to pursuing a role that combines her extensive medical experience with the pharmaceutical knowledge she gained at Seneca, allowing her to contribute meaningfully to her new community and continue the work she loves.

Faculty of Communication, Art & Design — Fashion Arts

Ayo Ojo arrived at Seneca Polytechnic with degrees in dramatic arts and marketing and a determination to study fashion so that she could help make it easier for tall women to find clothes they like. It’s a gap she’d noticed while growing up in Nigeria and one that persisted as she moved to the United Kingdom and then to Canada. Ayo worked with HELIX, Seneca’s innovation and entrepreneurship incubator, to launch Style with Délé – a brand with a mission to provide a fashion home for tall women. Her work is already impressing the industry: at Seneca’s year-end fashion showcase, she received the Innovation Award in recognition of her creativity, originality and professional promise. Ayo is currently working with private clients and hopes to launch her first collection this summer.

Faculty of Applied Sciences & Engineering Technology — Electronics Engineering Technology

As Nicholas Rosati prepared to start working in software engineering, he realized that while he liked using technology to solve problems, he preferred building solutions with physical components versus doing it with code. He then discovered that at Seneca Polytechnic, he could gain the skills and knowledge to turn the electronics engineering work he found more fulfilling into a career. This spring’s Skills Ontario competition provided strong evidence that Nicholas has found the right field, as he received a gold medal and the prestigious Award of Excellence as the event’s top-scoring participant from any postsecondary institution. He then represented Ontario at Skills Canada, where he earned a bronze medal. Nicholas is now pursuing roles in design, research and development, and wants to continue to use the skills he’s learned to create tangible solutions.

Faculty of Arts — Honours Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies

For Matthew Silus, Seneca Polytechnic was the perfect place to continue his educational journey. He followed a pathway that recognized his previous credits from another postsecondary institution, allowing him to finish his degree much faster than he otherwise could, and the degree qualified him for his next goal of law school. Balancing full-time studies with full-time employment, Matthew impressed everyone around him as someone who is always motivated and organized. His professors say that Matthew’s eager and informed participation in class discussions enhanced the classroom experience. His legally-inclined mind was evident in his final capstone project, in which he analyzed how media covered two high-profile legal cases. Matthew is now preparing to take the LSAT test.

Ayat Haider entered Seneca Polytechnic’s Honours Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation program unsure of her own potential. She credits her peers and professors for encouraging her to push beyond her limits and excel. She went on to distinguish herself as a campus leader, organizing events to enhance student well-being through activities such as mindfulness and meditation. She is now pursuing a certification in therapeutic recreation so that she can continue to empower individuals and support holistic well-being.

Gabrielle McCabe is a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Honours Bachelor of Data Science & Analytics program. Her time at Seneca included using the skills she was learning in the classroom to help a local business while working as a research assistant with Seneca Applied Research. Energized by the connections she made with her peers and professors, and excited by the many ways in which data can be used to solve real-world problems, Gabrielle hopes to soon start a successful career in her field and eventually pursue a master’s degree.

Gabriella Edmund is a graduate of Seneca Polytechnic’s Social Service Worker program. Passionate about helping others and making a difference in the community, she appreciates how working in social services allows her to support individuals and advocate for their needs. Personal highlights of her Seneca experience include learning from dedicated and encouraging professors and developing strong friendships with her peers. Gabriella hopes to continue gaining experience in her field and plans to pursue bachelor’s and master’s degrees in the future.