Hart House Celebrates Award Winners

Named after Hart House's trailblazing student-centred administrator and long-time Assistant Warden who passed away in 2016, the Audrey Hozack Student Leadership Award was created in 2017 and has been supported by donors to recognize and celebrate excellence in student leadership. The 2021 winner of the cash award was Kiran Sukdeo.

Kiran was an active member of Hart House's Student Recreational Athletics & Wellness Committee (RAWC) for over three years. As both the Student Chair and the Steward representing the interests of the Committee on the Hart House Board of Stewards, Kiran worked hard to open up pathways to engagement for students from communities that have not always been well-represented in Hart House’s spaces or programs.  Among Kiran’s many innovations was an Afro-Dance workshop series celebrating Black History Month that she created in partnership with the Afro-Dance and Culture Club.

Named in memory of the founding curator/director of the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery at Hart House, the Judi Schwartz Memorial Scholarship is a donor- supported award that recognizes achievements in student-led programming at Hart House and reflects Judi's lifelong belief in the importance of encouraging student leadership. Students involved in a wide range of Hart House activities received the scholarship in 2021:

• Sabrina Brathewaite helped to shape Hart House’s podcasting program for four years. With her help, the program has become  a respected and respectful space for sharing student stories and perspectives at the University of Toronto. Sabrina was also involved as a volunteer with the Hart House Global Commons and the Hart House Archery Club.
• Tara Costello demonstrated strong leadership skills throughout her four-year involvement with Hart House Theatre. Tara has been a strong advocate for the theatre arts across all three campuses of UofT.  She assisted with countless student-led theatre productions and led the Hart House Student Theatre Committee as the Student Chair.
• Muskaan Kaushal made important contributions over a two year period by serving as a member of the U of T Drama Coalition and working with the Hart House team on the University’s MoveU initiative. She worked hard to ensure that the U of T Drama Festival became more inclusive by offering no-cost, diverse options for engagement for students across all three campuses.
• Rudra Patel made enormous contributions as a student leader in the Hart House Debating Club. Over four years, Rudra served several roles within the Club, including Treasurer and Outreach Director, and worked to improve the Club for her fellow students by removing barriers to engaging with debating at U of T.
• Rebekah Robinson was a highly engaged student leader at Hart House for the four years of her undergraduate studies.  She helped to develop both the Hart House Global Commons and the House’s burgeoning podcasting program. Rebekah has a talent for taking on difficult topics with dignity and respect and working to highlight marginalized voices.
• Chantelle Soropia was involved with student programming at Hart House for four years, serving first as a Hart House Student Ambassador and then as a Youth and Community Outreach Assistant. Throughout Chantelle's involvement, she created and deepened Hart House's relationship to other campus communities.

Congratulations to all of the winners! We look forward to keeping in touch with you and celebrating your many achievements throughout what is sure to be a bright future.

If you would like to provide a gift of support to either of these award funds, or if you have any questions about supporting Hart House in other ways, please contact Peter Wambera, Hart House’s Head of Advancement, at [email protected].