Arriving at any milestone is an achievement of dedication, passion and longevity.
On May 7, 2014, the University of Toronto celebrated Long Service Awards of employees who have worked for 25, 35, and 40 years at the school. Two of our colleagues celebrated 25 years each of service at the University: Vashty Hawkins and Karma Farah. The event was held at the Great Hall, Hart House. The awards were presented by Meric Gertler, President, University of Toronto.
Vashty Hawkins, Assistant to the Vice Dean at CPD, started her career at OISE and moved onto Continuing Professional Development in 2004. We asked Vashty what it meant to her to be a part of the University of Toronto culture. She said, “Being part of an institution with a long and venerable history of academic excellence in this city, country, and internationally.” The biggest highlight of her career to date was getting to work on the University of Toronto Oncology Continuing Education program with the late Dr. Robert Buckman.
Karma Farah started off as an Office Administrator in Biochemistry. She is now the Accreditation Coordinator at CPD and says about her experience: “Throughout 25 years of working at the university, I have had the wonderful opportunity to meet and interact with so many faculty and staff. The blend of U of T’s academic excellence with its culturally diverse population of students, faculty, and staff make it an exceptional community to work in!” Karma goes on to share: “It is highly rewarding to be part of CPD and play a role in the accreditation of so many continuing education events, which are a venue for educators, researchers, students, and all health professionals to keep evolving in their specialities and their learning. I am privileged to work with programs that hold the promise of better health outcomes!”