TORONTO, December 3, 2012 – York University future student Sosina Tilahun, 18, will receive one year free tuition as part of the university’s this is my time contest jointly presented by MuchMusic. She plans to enroll in York U’s film program offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Tilahun was chosen from a large pool of prospective students who crystallized in 140 characters or less how their York U degrees will help them to achieve their goals and impact society.
She received a symbolic cheque for the tuition from York University’s President and Vice-Chancellor Mamdouh Shoukri, last week. As the contest winner, Tilahun spent an afternoon on York U campus co-hosting MuchMusic’s Videoflow Takeover with VJ Phoebe Dykstra which is being broadcast at various times on Dec. 3 and 4.
“I want to study at York because it’s got the best film program and I feel very lucky to get free tuition to come here,” says an excited Tilahun, a resident of London, Ontario. “At first, I really didn’t think I had a chance to win because there were so many tweets. But when I was contacted, I was very, very happy!”
Tilahun, who spent most of her life in Africa — raised in Somalia, where her family had taken refuge after fleeing Ethiopia — wants to use her education at York U to create awareness about the importance of education for girls around the world. “We have the right to education,” says Tilahun, who hopes to create documentary and short films to fulfill her vision.
“I felt that because I’m really passionate about it, I’ll tweet about it and say it to the world,” she says. The winning vision in her own words: To help make education accessible to every girl in developing countries. Click here to watch Tilahun speak about her experience entering the contest, winning free tuition, and her plans for the future.
The future student contest complements the on campus vision exchange campaign which recently awarded free tuition to Human Resources Management student Jacqueline Tran.
York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 28 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 288 leading universities worldwide. York U's community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 250,000 alumni.
Media Contact:
Gloria Suhasini, York University Media Relations, 416 736 2100 ext. 22094, suhasini@yorku.ca
