Students honoured at Ryerson University’s annual awards night

Ryerson University’s School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM) held its annual Awards Night this year on Wednesday, November 13, 2019 from 6 pm to 8:30 pm at the Double Tree by Hilton’s Mandarin Room in downtown Toronto. The goal of GCM’s four-year program has always been to graduate individuals who will become skilled professionals in the printing and graphic communications industries – with a solid foundation of education and technical training to enable them to develop as professional managers. Students, their families and teachers, GCM sponsors and faculty members, and leaders from the Canadian printing industry, attended this year’s event, which saw tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships awarded to dozens of deserving students. We congratulate all the winners – especially those who received awards in multiple categories, and wish them continued success in their educational and professional journey.

“I’m thrilled and excited for you as you prepare to launch your future careers,” said Mohamed Lachemi, Ryerson University President. “You have already demonstrated the dedication, commitment and excellence necessary to succeed and I look forward to what’s next for you and the impact you will have. To our award winners, your achievements today offer a great indication of the limitless future you have in store. The School of Graphic Communications Management is a forward-looking leader of technological and artistic learning at the creative edge. In today’s visual world, where accelerating technological advancement and change are the norm, your creativity, understanding of design and embrace of innovation will set you apart.
Ryerson’s Academic Plan is called ‘Our Time to Lead’ and we can only fulfill that goal when we say to our students ‘this is your time to lead too.’ We’re supported in this ambitious and confident direction by our alumni, donors and partners whose investment in Ryerson is a huge and continuing factor in our success, by our faculty and researchers whose example inspires the highest professional standards, by the dedication of our outstanding and talented staff, and fundamentally, by the love and encouragement of family and friends. Kindest regards, and thank you everyone for being here today to celebrate this impressive group.”

Jason Lisi, Graphic Communications Management Chair, added: “This truly is a special evening. Tonight, we celebrate each and every one of you, your amazing achievements and your success. Your hard work, passion and commitment is evident in everything you do. It’s an honour to celebrate today with you. This evening is about celebration and recognition, and in addition to recognizing your achievements, I want to also acknowledge those that have supported you on your journey. So let’s start with family and friends (some of whom are here tonight, and some that for many reasons could not be here) that have supported, encouraged and helped you along the way. Next, I want to acknowledge the amazing faculty, instructors and staff within the school that truly go above and beyond to support and mentor students, both in and] out of the classroom. I would also like to thank our Dean, Charles Falzon, for his support in everything that we do as a school. Last – but certainly not least – I thank the industry for their amazing support and contributions to the school and students – through awards like the ones presented tonight, donations, mentorship, and opening their places of business for GCM students to extend their learning through tours, assignments, and so much more. Thank you all for everything you do. I would like to conclude by saying that the graphic communications industry is an amazing industry to work in, and you are preparing for a career in this industry at an exceptionally exciting time. I encourage you to keep working hard, to push yourself, and to challenge norms. You are the future of this industry, and what an amazing future it will be.”

We congratulate everyone involved with this superb, well-organized event – especially organizer Taras (Terry) Karpiuk and his hard-working staff of students and volunteers. Special thanks also to announcer Diana Varma, GCM Contract Lecturer and Graphic Arts Magazine contributing columnist, as well as third-year GCM student Andrew Longo for the photographs. Below is a summary of the awards and the winning students: