Reflections of Havergal: 1994-2019

TABLE OF CONTENTS

New Dr. Susan J. Ditchburn Young Alumna Award presented to Lola Kassim 2000 The Chronicle , 2008 By Brenda Robson, Advancement Associate and former Dean of Students

This award is to be given to an Old Girl who, “stands for academic and professional excellence, strength of family, leadership, diversity and altruism ... (this award) recognizes someone who has graduated within the last 15 years and who has made an outstanding contribution to the community and to the betterment of society as a whole.” In the 45 years that I have worked at Havergal, I have been inspired by thousands of outstanding young women. As they all have a combination of different strengths and weaknesses, it is impossible to say that anyone is ‘the best’ ... many Old Girls have been pioneers in their fields and many stand out from the crowd. Among this group of outstanding women are a few who have achieved remarkable academic results and, at the same time, have made a significant difference to the communities in which they have found themselves. Lola Kassim is one of these. She came to Havergal in Grade 3, went to B.S.S. for Grade 8, but came back to Havergal in Grade 9 because, in her words to the school when she was speaking in Prayers,” ... my blood was green, not grey.” During her Havergal years, she proved to be a thoughtful and inspiring leader. Her passion for the school and her determination to help create an even better experience for the students who followed were evident in everything that she did. She was an active participant in many areas of school life, such as track and field, choir, orchestra, clubs and community service, to name a few. She was elected as an Ellen Knox House Executive Member in Grades 10 and 11 and was elected as school captain in her graduating year-her captaincy was memorable. An outstanding public speaker, she inspired those around her to be the best that they could be. Her gentleness in dealing with people, the strength of her convictions, her maturity, integrity and unwavering loyalty were well known in the school. She maintained an academic average of higher than 90% and, after graduation, set off for Harvard. As long as I had known her, her goal in life was to become a doctor. It was quite a surprise, then, that by the end of her first term at university she had started to take detours in her studies and eventually graduated with an honours BA in social studies (magna cum laude), having written a senior thesis which examined the United Nations Millennium Goals. Here is a brief list of the volunteer and leadership activities in which Lola was involved while studying at Harvard: • Co-director of peer counselling service-managed and co-ordinated the schedules and ongoing training of 30 student

staff members, planned a 40-hour week of training, was on call every night of the academic year to provide guidance when staff were confronted with serious situations or were in need of emotional, practical or other support, and acted as an advocate for mental health issues on campus. • Volunteer with the Centre for Agricultural and Rural Education and with the Society for Education, Village Action and Improvement in India, where she worked with women’s microcredit groups. • Student representative to the committee on undergraduate education; presented the voices of students and drafted proposals for presentation at meetings of the university’s faculty council. • Intern with the Local Development Institute in Bangkok, Thailand Lola was also employed as a research assistant for several projects, as a teacher of English, math, economics and biology, as development assistant at the Harvard College Fund and as manager of operations, finances and publicity for a small company. After Harvard, Lola headed to England to the London School of Economics where she earned an M.Sc. with distinction in development management. Through all of this education, Lola has received some wonderful academic scholarships. The Canadian government recruits Canadian young people who have just graduated from master’s degree programs. Each year, interviews are held around the world to find 40 of the best candidates-Lola was one of these 40. When I was telephoned to provide a reference for her, I answered questions for about half an hour, then said that I thought that I was making her sound impossibly perfect. The interviewer’s reply was that everything I had said supported the selection committee’s feeling about her after her interview, and they were worried that they had missed something ... she seemed flawless to them. She is currently working at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada where she has held positions as a Policy Analyst and Advisor to the Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of Socio-Economic Policy and Regional Operations. Lola is a wonderful example of an intelligent young woman who always acts with integrity, views opportunities and difficulties with an open mind, and is a compassionate and outstanding counsellor, role model and leader. She has already made a real difference for good in the world and sets a very high standard for future winners of this award. And what about becoming a doctor? She says, “Oh there’s time for that, but not right now.”

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