TORONTO, April 11, 2005 -- A ceremony that took place today at Westview Centennial Secondary School encouraged students in the Jane-Finch community to carry on the spirit and legacy of Randal Dooley by applying for the York University bursary that bears his name.
On Tuesday, April 12 at 10:30 a.m., hundreds of high school students heard the inspirational message behind the Randal Dooley Memorial Entrance Bursary, which provides financial support to students from the Jane-Finch community entering first year studies in York University’s Faculty of Arts.
“This bursary gives the opportunity to students that Randal Dooley never had,” said Susie Gotha, the bursary’s founder.
Alanna Clark, a first-year York student and last year’s recipient of the bursary, spoke about how the award has affected her life. Other speakers included Westview student council president Rahma Siad-togane and Dr. Andrea Davis, assistant professor in the humanities division at York.
"This bursary is about hope and paying tribute to Randal’s memory, said Paul Marcus, president and CEO of the York University Foundation. "I want to thank the community and Western Union for really caring about students, for caring about the community and education."
Pearson Burch-Smith, Western Union Marketing Consultant for the Caribbean said, “Western Union is pleased to be associated with the Randal Dooley Memorial Entrance Bursary at York University. Randal Dooley’s legacy continues to be an inspiring one as recipients of this award, while still students, have grasped the mantle as advocates for many of the social issues that plague youth in their community. The role of the community in raising the funds toward this bursary is a beacon of positive collective action and Western Union is honoured to be able to partner once again in this venture.”
He was only seven when he died, but the memory of Randal Dooley continues to inspire the Jane-Finch community to build a better future for its young people. Established in 2002, the Randal Dooley Memorial Bursary is supported by community donors who raise money each Canada Day, and additional funds were donated by sponsor Western Union Canada. That total amount is then matched again by the Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund through the York University Foundation.
The two schools have also worked together to create the York-Westview Partnership, a unique teacher preparation program that integrates equity, diversity and social justice into its theory and practice.
For more information on the bursary, click here
York University is the leading interdisciplinary research and teaching university in Canada. York offers a modern, academic experience at the undergraduate and graduate level in Toronto, Canada’s most international city. The third largest university in the country, York is host to a dynamic academic community of 50,000 students and 7,000 faculty and staff, as well as 180,000 alumni worldwide. York’s 10 faculties and 21 research centres conduct ambitious, groundbreaking research that is interdisciplinary, cutting across traditional academic boundaries. This distinctive and collaborative approach is preparing students for the future and bringing fresh insights and solutions to real-world challenges.
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Melissa Hughes, Media Relations, York University, 416-736-2100 x22097/mehughes@yorku.ca
