On September 2, more than 900 Sheridan employees gathered at the Trafalgar Campus to celebrate the start of a new academic year. If you haven’t already done so, we invite anyone who attended to please take a short survey, which can be found by clicking here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PYMS2GX Your comments assist us to further refine the event in years to come.
Here is a look back at the event including a recap of employee accomplishments, a spotlight on wellness, a Sheridan Journey update, highlights from a ‘year in review’, the wrap up of the 2014 President’s Creative Challenge and launch of the new challenge, and other highlights from the morning.
Employee Accomplishments:
As in previous years, employee accomplishments were recognized. This year, accomplishments were displayed on pennants around the gymnasium and each person recognized will receive his/her pennant via inter-office mail. New in 2015 was the recognition of team accomplishments and the people featured as Sheridan Everyday Heroes in stories published on the Curiosities blog.
The following people were recognized:
Individual Achievements:
Elaine Brodie, Gail Benick, Anna Pautler, Samuel S. Gurupatham, Heidi Overhill, Angie Rosati, Mary Ventrella, Andrew Smyk, Derrick Millard, Harsh Hiralal Thakkar, John Laugesen, Christine Szustaczek, Amanda Pike, Victoria Bomben, Anthony Falikowski, Clarence A. Porter, Dan Kennedy, Linda De Jong, Gary Galbraith, Cindy Noble, Claire Meldrum, Joe Morse, Rafael Goldchain, Nicolette Little, Pat Spadafora, Ian Williams, Haq Khandwalla, Theresa Fraser, Farzad Rayegani, Sara J. Cumming, Anna K. Boshnakova, Rory Sommers, Julie Morris, Rafael Santos, Sean McNabney, Kirsten Madsen, Susan Shepley, Christopher Ferguson, Carin E. McLean, Nichol R. Guerra, Katarzyna Rukszto, Victoria McGlynn, Golnaz Golnaraghi, Iryna Molodecky, Allison Tudhope-Houston, Shaun Ghafari, Netta Romano, Anna Maria Maocheia, Shannon Pirie, Yalin Gorica, Stacey Hughes, Jennifer Frost, Savanna Mehrad, Kelly Kwon, Vicki McAllister, Jun Wang, Holly Ashbourne, Darby Pierson, Corry Samuels, Erminia Bossio, Paulina Camino, Isadora Juarez Miranda, Andrew Staples, Beverly Bruce, Ida Gianvito, Monica Lysack, Sang Le, Jacinda Frazer, Herb Sinnock, Judith E. MacKinnon, Donna Fundy-Brennan, Mary Beth Michaels, Jenny Peach, Jean Simpson, Stephanie Samboo, Chrisoula Benak, Katye Seip, Sarah Sinclair, Rebecca Massey, Sumayya Daghar, Kathleen Oakey, Claire Wollen, Marcie Theoret, Jana Wells, Rachel Jiang, Ed Sykes, Jessica E. Pulis, Nancy Reeves, Nagwa Abou El-Naga
To view the individual accomplishments in full, click here.
Team Achievements:
The following employees were part of a team achievement recognized at this year’s event:
Shaun Ghafari, Srinivas Ganapathyraju, M. Bahrami, Andy Alubaidy, Farzad Rayegani, Mary Ventrella, Julie Jaglowitz, Lavann Baalachandiran, Amrit Gurung, Amanda Bhikha, Kelvin Omorodion, Sherese Reid, Mary Anne Vanos, Anne Marie Piesz, Manju Sunil Varghese, Rafael Santos, Stephen Smith, Daniel Liao Dave Wackerlin, Kirsten Madsen, Karen LeMoine, Heather Krause, Kelly Karius, Carolina Salcedo, Wesley Skoczen, Sharon Aitken, Christine Szustaczek, Victoria Bomben, Jane Cockton, Lisa Piccolo, Joanne Scattolon, Marcel Bernardou, Susan Atkinson, Keiko Kataoka, Carol Hill, Owen Colborne, Stewart Dick, Christopher Milne, Jennifer Deighton, Kevin Bunt, Erica Shaw, Sara Murphy, Mark Mulloy, Karina Butzek-Morris, Jennifer Clarke, Elizabeth Monaghan, Mary Louise Noce, Laura Christopherson, Sirena Liladrie, Nicole Johnson, Asta Dvorak, Shelley Draper, Kelly Robinson, Kelly Quinn, Michelle Braithwaite, Sheryl Thompson, Nellie Shephard, Shelley Russel, Chevonne Campbell, Elizabeth Cooper, Lindsay Rodgers, Mark Simon, Nancy Beiman, Nicole M. Rossi, John Helliker, Albert Dunk, David Dexter, Carolyn Cox, Bronwyn Halliday, Keenan Lynch, Jim Hagarty, Spence Idenouye, Laura Sky, Julie Jaglowitz, Carin McLean, Theresa Faubert, Ginnelle Alvaro, Laszlo Borondy, Alex Cooper, Daniel Samaan, Alastair Sinclair, Diego Guijarro, Nickeisha Henry, Imealia Hochoymi, Tristan Johnson, Amanda Powell, Melissa Robinson, Maher Ghalayini, Sandro Buffone, Ryan Suarez, Jim Greer, Rod Stewart, Randy Boden, Waldo Calderon, Stuart Tenn, Chris Bonthron, Kevin Dickieson, William Bohan, Maxine Fawcett, Vincent (Bi Oh) Bong, Paul Khangura, Vikram Saili, Samy Abd El-Sayed, John Fitzgerald, Daryl Bakes, Ryan Green, Samir Muhamedagic and the following departments: Marketing & Communications, Facilities Services, Office for Sustainability, IT Services, Purchasing
To view the team accomplishments in full, click here.
Everyday Heroes:
The work of Owen Colborne, a technologist in the Bachelor of Photography program, inspired this series. He photographed his colleagues in their work spaces for a photo exhibition and Sheridan’s communications department interviewed some of the people featured and wrote stories about how they support student success.
Ken Walker, Rob Diemert, Nancy Simpson and Kara Thompson, Joanne Islip, Greg Andrews, Bill Tkach, Irene Sillius, Jim Flack, James Rowan, Denise Lisson, Linda Nelson, Souren Dermentjian, Emiliano Paternostro, Hugh Douglas-Murray, Carlos Garcia
To view the Everyday Heroes pennant, click here.
Wellness at Sheridan
The event centered on a theme of wellness, which was the focal point of the activities, presentations and décor. The morning started off with a tail-gate style breakfast outside of the stadium featuring a variety of food stations to represent a well-balanced diet (including the ‘just because I want to’ pastry table!).
In the stadium, guest speaker Kate Davis who is a local comedian, writer, actress and mother of three, spoke about the positive effects humour has on wellbeing, taking a break from being serious, and the importance of keeping a positive mindset, despite how busy and stressful life can be.
Employees participated in a dance activity led by students from Sheridan’s Exercise Science and Health Promotion program who also help lead MoveU throughout the year on campus.
In the spirit of feeling good by giving back, for the second year in a row, Sheridan employees helped support the registered charity Sew on Fire. Employees packed one backpack each with school supplies and treats for students in need in northern Ontario.
Before leaving, employees had the opportunity to fill out sticky notes with the phrase “Wellness is…” and the comments were collected to help inform wellness initiatives at Sheridan throughout the year.
Journey Update: Top 10
Provost and Vice President, Academic Mary Preece shared the top 10 things she learned about Sheridan while helping to prepare the Self Study Report that documents how far along Sheridan is on its journey to becoming Sheridan University.
To read the full list, click here.
Year in Review
Without a screen in the stadium, President Jeff Zabudsky had to get creative with his presentation of some of the accomplishments and milestones over the past academic year. Sheridan’s Musical Theatre Performance students helped animate the accomplishments on stage using props.
To read highlights from the year in review, click here.
Wrapping up the 2014 President’s Creative Challenge
The event marked the end of the 2014 President’s Creative Challenge on the theme of “Internationalization: Envisioning ‘Sheridan without Borders.’” The challenge received 18 submissions and three winners were selected by a review committee, and an Audience Choice Award was decided through online voting. Congratulations to everyone who took up the challenge and to the winners:
- The People’s Choice Winner: Sheridan Cook-Off: Sheridan Dishes on International Narratives – Anna Bartosik and Jack Leung
- 3rd place: Project LIFE (Literacy in Financial Education) – Vishakha Shah, Vijeyta Bali, Vishal Badiani, Cindy Gillett, Doug Greenwood
- 2nd place: Sheridan Student Exchange Committee – Crystal Bennett and Erica Forest
- 1st place: FAHCS Without Borders: ECE iConnect Pilot – Jacinta Goveas, Yalin Gorica, Velma Doran, Cameile Henry, Gary Galbraith, Dawn Sweeney, Pamela Budge, Mary Louise Noce
Launching the 2015 President’s Creative Challenge
How can we make health and wellness easy and fun at Sheridan? This is the question that will shape the 2015 President’s Creative Challenge. Jeff Zabudsky explained that wellness isn’t just about being physically fit, but it also includes spiritual, emotional, social, environmental, occupational and intellectual well-being. Research shows that well-being can positively affect academic success, learning and the overall student experience, it is associated with social connectedness, belonging, positive self-esteem, resilience and happiness, it creates a sense of community, and leads to a healthy organizational culture. There are many reasons that wellness should be a priority for our Sheridan community.
To find out more about this year’s challenge visit: http://presidentschallenge.sheridancollege.ca/
Musical Performance
Under the direction of faculty member Michael Mulrooney, Sheridan students entering their fourth-year of the Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program kicked off the event with a medley of songs from the musical Legally Blonde. The musical will kick off the 2015/16 Theatre Sheridan season on December 1. The students also performed the song Life on the Stage from the musical The Enlightenment of Percival von Schmootz, which is also part of the upcoming Theatre Sheridan season. They wrapped up the event with a performance of We Are the Champions by Queen, with Sheridan employees singing along.
Final items
Congratulations once again to the winners of the Go Pro Hero Adventure Camera, the FitBit fitness tracker, the Samsung Galaxy Note, the gym membership and Theatre Sheridan seasons tickets.
Everyone at the event should have received a Sheridan ‘S’ water bottle, which can be used for hot and cold beverages and comes with an infuser. Click here for some drink recipes to keep you hydrated.
Have a fantastic academic year!