FSSH students receive 2021 Student Leadership Awards of Recognition

The Faculty of Social Science and Humanities (FSSH) congratulates students Samantha Brown and Farhin Mim, recipients of the 2021 Student Leadership Awards of Recognition for their achievements and contributions to the Ontario Tech community.

Sam Brown: Living out her mantra

Samantha (Sam) Brown received the 2021 Student Leadership Award of Recognition, Respect Award, presented to an undergraduate student who promotes equitable practices within the university community, and who acknowledges or appreciates the perspectives and backgrounds of others and encourage others to do the same.

Nominator Dan Walters, FSSH Practicum/Internship Co-ordinator lauds Sam for her community-building skills and social intelligence.

“Sam just orchestrated our faculty's best-ever ‘What To Do With Your BA’ alumni panel, and I had the great fortune of working closely with her in the months leading up to the event,” says Walters. “Never in my life have I witnessed a student inspire her peers and community partners with such dexterous brushstrokes of integrity, inclusivity, and respect. She is always quick to redirect praise to her team members (and strategically to those who need it most).”

Sam’s poise and maturity has not gone unnoticed outside of the university community and puts her in a class all her own. One panelist from the “What To Do With Your BA” event commented, “I can't believe Sam is in second year! She's literally the best master of ceremonies I've ever seen... and her ability to draw connections between everyone's points on the fly is unbelievable. She is scary-talented, and you guys are lucky to have her (as a student)."

In addition to being a Dean's List student, Sam’s resumé of volunteer service is admirable. She has served as President of the Ontario Tech Humanities Society, Vice-President of the Ontario Tech BIPOC Club, a Peer Leader, a Student Ambassador, a French and English Tutor, a Peer Mentor, and an International Orientation Leader.

Sam was honoured to receive this award.

“My name is Samantha Brown (she/her); I'm in my third year of the Legal Studies Program with a minor in Criminology and Justice and a specialization in Alternative Dispute Resolution,” says Sam. “I have the privilege of working with many diverse individuals through my work-study and extracurricular positions on-campus. I also plan on working in the legal field once I graduate. As a result, it's essential that everyone feels listened to and respected in our interactions. ‘I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’ - Maya Angelou Angelou's quote often helps me ensure that I'm doing whatever I can to be respectful of others, so I'm honoured to have received this award!”

Farhin Mim: Conscientious leadership

Farhin Mim received the 2021 Student Leadership Award of Recognition, Accountability (Ethics) Award, presented to undergraduate students who demonstrate personal accountability in their leadership, exemplify dependability, incorporate ethical reasoning into their actions and uphold transparent leadership practices.

Dr. Hannah Scott, FSSH Professor nominated Farhin not only because of her impressive academic achievements, but also for her social awareness and engagement.

“Over the time I have known her, Farhin has been active in the university student community,” says Dr. Scott. “She would take part in events on campus, announce events in class, and eventually run for election (successfully) to be one of the Vice-Presidents of the union, representing the downtown campus location. She embraces activism, sincerely working with others to make the world a better place. She has a strong moral centre that guides her way in life. It is rare to find someone both academically and socially engaged, who excels in both realms.”

Farhin's exemplary academic success was evident in her honours thesis, supervised by Dr. Olga Marques. Focusing on the experiences of microaggressions, racism and Islamophobia for visibly Muslim men and women university students, Farhin received Research Ethics Approval with only minor technical revisions in order to conduct qualitative research on the topic. Upon completion of her thesis and with the support of Dr. Marques, Farhin was accepted by the Canadian Sociological Association to present her findings at its annual meeting in May 2021. She and Dr. Marques later co-authored a manuscript based on her research, of which Farhin is the first author, and have already received a decision of ‘revise and resubmit’ from a peer reviewed journal.

Dr. Marques also had high praise for Farhin’s leadership and activism.  

“She exemplifies personal accountability, dependability, ethical reasoning, collaboration, and a strong sense of equity and community,” says Dr. Marques. “These traits are evident across Ms. Mim’s academic accomplishments as well as her student leadership at Ontario Tech University. Ms. Mim is hard-working, a proactive member of her community, and has a strong sense of personal, professional, and civic duty. She is most deserving of this award.”

In her final year of study (2020-2021), the graduate of the Criminology and Justice program served as Vice-President, Downtown Services, for Ontario Tech University’s Student Union (OTSU) where she designed and led focus groups targeting mental health and peer support. As a result of her findings, the OTSU has adopted a Peer Support Project. Farhin is currently pursuing a law degree at the University of Windsor.     

Farhin shared her gratitude for the award and her pledge.

“I am grateful for this recognition, for the support of the Ontario Tech Student Union and the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities towards my advocacy efforts in the Ontario Tech community,” says Farhin. “This award encourages me to continue my path forward with the utmost accountability from myself and others for an equitable future, there is a lot of work to be done.”

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“We are very proud of these brilliant award winners. Farhin and Sam have both proven to be highly innovative, conscientious, collegial student leaders who represent the ethos of FSSH at Ontario Tech University.”
-Dr. Peter Stoett, Dean, Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Ontario Tech University