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UC is proud to announce our 2025-26 Student Leadership Award winners. Recognized among friends and family in a combined ceremony at the end of every academic year, the Student Leadership Awards celebrate the accomplishments of UC student community members who have made their mark in enriching the university experience at the college and beyond.

UC has over 4,000 students who live off campus — many of whom commute from Hamilton, Markham or beyond, like recent graduate Avasa Sarawan (BSc 2026 UC), a former Community Assistant who specialized in the Human Biology Department’s Health and Disease program. Before graduation, UC News sat down with Avasa to learn more about the person behind one of the friendly faces who led one of campus’ most cherished community hubs.

Wendy Freedman has made a career of measuring the universe. Her efforts to refine the Hubble constant — a value that represents the expansion rate of the universe — helped deepen our understanding of the age and scale of the cosmos. Freedman, who is currently the John & Marion Sullivan University Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, gained the tools and knowledge she needed to launch her career during her time at U of T. “My U of T education prepared me for many of the projects and roles I’ve taken on throughout my career,” says Freedman, a three-time alum.

If you have ever interacted with the Public Health Program, chances are, you’ve come across the work of recent UC graduate Brandon Chan-Long, a student who double-majored in Public Health and Critical Studies in Equity and Solidarity. In conversation before his graduation, Brandon shared some details and highlights from his own academic journey, including the formative moments that will — in his own words — ‘stay with him forever.’

Originally from Botswana, Lellow Sedio’s first attempt at university in Canada hadn’t gone to plan. Now graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in book and media studies and bound for grad school at U of T's Faculty of Information, Sedio credits U of T’s Transitional Year Programme with helping her succeed in university and chart a path to grad school.

Graduating student Catherine Diyakonov’s boundless curiosity has inspired a lifelong interest in research and a commitment to solving problems using an interdisciplinary approach. While pursuing a double major in diaspora and transnational studies and religion, she investigated everything from Italian-Canadian migration to environmental practices in East Africa to the Russo-Ukrainian War. She also founded Girls Who Lead, an organization that provides support, community and connections to young women leaders.

For Eileen Antone, education has never been simply about instruction. It is about restoring voice, reclaiming knowledge and creating space for Indigenous ways of being to thrive. Last week, in recognition of her outstanding service to the university, as a respected Elder, teacher and Knowledge Keeper whose wisdom, leadership and mentorship have profoundly enriched the university community, Antone received an honorary doctorate from the University of Toronto after a UC-led nomination.

In some of Toronto’s coldest months, for one magical night, the college is completely transformed for an evening of finery and fun to host UC’s annual Fireball dance. 
 
This year, due to the hard work, dedication, and cumulative expertise of the UC Lit, Fireball returns to the college building, rekindling a cherished college tradition and marking a return to top form after recent setbacks.