Recipients from 2022-23

Stephanie Farrow

Volunteer, Supervisor and Casual Educational Assistant
École Dufferin

Like many school volunteers, Stephanie Farrow wears a lot of hats to ensure the school she loves is a great place to learn and play. In her years at École Dufferin, she has run the snack program, overseeing planning, ordering and organizing the collective efforts needed to bring nutritious snacks to promote student learning and well-being. She has also taken on the role of supervisor before school starts and during nutrition breaks. But it is her ability to recognize needs and mobilize the actions necessary to meet those needs that sets her apart. Her commitment and dedication to the school has also provided unique insights into how she can best contribute to it.

This year, she worked to secure a grant to purchase a freezer for the snack program. She mentors new supervisors and proactively works to ensure coverage needs are met. And most recently, she committed to training in order to provide coverage at the school as an occasional educational assistant. She greets students by name, and they share inside jokes. She goes to great to lengths to ensure lost-and-found items are returned to their owners. She ensures everyone who walks through the doors of the school is welcomed and included. It is the small, daily gestures, as well as the big commitments Stephanie contributes that makes it an honour to present her with a Learn Lead Inspire award.

Chris Kawamura

Transportation Technology
Delhi District Secondary School

 In his role as an automotive tech teacher, Chris is inspiring a new generation of students to explore skilled-trades career paths. As the branch OSSTF president, he is a leader at school, in the community, and inspires colleagues through the examples he sets. At a recent charity event in Norfolk, Chris was there to make a pitch to the panel of a local chapter of a philanthropic organization that allocates funding and resources to good causes. He was there to ask for resources to help him obtain older engine parts, particularly cast iron engines and carburetors so he could continue to build a strong foundation in learning and a well-rounded automotive technical program. His pitch followed a moving presentation by the Simcoe Special Olympics – his competition at this event. Moved by it, Chris bowed out of competition, and asked that all the resources and funding that night go towards supporting the wonderful work they carry out instead. Luckily the connections he made still helped his own cause ultimately, but the gesture exemplifies what Chris is all about – a learner, leader and inspiration in Grand Erie and beyond. Grand Erie is proud to recognize Chris Kawamura as a recipient of the Learn Lead Inspire award.

Susan Pasek

Lead Educational Assistant
Grand Erie District School Board

Grand Erie is proud to recognize Susan Pasek. In her role as Lead Educational Assistant, Susan works with Grand Erie’s most complex learners, and with a whole-system approach, builds responsive, inclusive environments for students to learn and achieve. Susan is an exemplary coach and mentor, leading the way for Grand Erie’s teams of educational assistants, and collaborating with them to solve problems and improve processes. With a deep understanding of the challenges that can face those working in this caring field, she is always mindful of her colleagues’ well-being, and works tirelessly to support ongoing professional development, build leadership capacity and enhance access to resources to improve the working conditions for education assistants. A lifelong learner, Susan continues to enhance her own professional practice, adding to her wide and diverse skillsets. Her commitment to teamwork and leadership is an inspiration, and makes a tangible difference the lives and school experiences of so many learners. Susan’s work in Grand Erie exemplifies what it means to Learn, Lead and Inspire.

Imam Abu Noman Tarek

Imam, Brantford Mosque

Grand Erie’s relationship with Imam Abu Noman Tarek began during a very difficult time. It was the aftermath of the Quebec City mosque shooting in 2017, and Imam Tarek reached out to express concern for the safety and well-being of local Muslim youth and their families. He provided invaluable guidance to Grand Erie staff to help bridge knowledge and understanding as our communities united to support learners, and worked together to take a stand against Islamophobia. In the ensuing years, Imam Tarek has become a great friend and partner to Grand Erie, providing leadership, advocacy and opportunities, and through sharing his wisdom and experience to advance safe and inclusive environments. Among his many achievements are the founding of the Better Together program and co-founding of the Muslim-Indigenous Connections program to build cohesion and understanding among the many different communities that make up our region. He sponsors inclusion awards in each Brantford elementary and secondary school. He is also a recipient of the YMCA Peace Medal, recognizing outstanding efforts for social justice.Grand Erie is pleased to present Imam Tarek with a Learn Lead Inspire recognition. His tireless work striving to make this community better for everyone, and continued collaboration with our students and staff members is a true testament to the spirit of this award.

Charley Lauchlan

Grade 6 Student
Lakewood Elementary School

Charley Lauchlan, a Grade 6 student at Lakewood Elementary School, is a young artist with a clear vision. Inspired by the works of Picasso, Van Gogh and Maud Lewis, she used the downtime of the pandemic to teach herself to work in a variety of visual art media and aims to create works of beauty that can be a point of inspiration for others. Her works and talent have been recognized at the Norfolk County Fair, and displayed at various library branches in the region, as well as in Grand Erie’s Education Centre. Charley looks forward to entering new works at the fair this fall, as she pursues her studies in art and further develops her artistic practice. Her hope is to reach as wide an audience as possible through her work, and to continue experimenting with new styles.

Melissa Mummery

Parent Council Chair and Volunteer

For more than 10 years, Melissa Mummery has served as Chair of Lakewood Elementary School’s Parent Council, a leadership role that sees her collaborating with staff, parents/caregivers, the Grand Erie Parent Involvement Committee (GEPIC) and members of the community. She does so with positivity, kindness, and inspiring motivation. Her ability to see what’s possible, and identify the steps needed to get there, have led to many achievements. Her fundraising efforts have directly benefited the learning community at Lakewood, and extend to the broader community it calls home. Among those endeavours are support for the school’s extensive snack program, the purchase of outdoor play equipment, the renovation of the school’s learning commons, the construction of an outdoor classroom in partnership with Grand Erie, covering costs of field trips to remove barriers to participation, and enhancing classroom libraries. Three years ago, she began working directly with principal David Van Laecke to realize a large goal: the resurfacing of the Todd Eaton Memorial Track, an asset that will benefit students and community members for a long time to come.

Olivia Jones

Dunnville Secondary School

Olivia Jones’s school experience has involved overcoming many obstacles, including other people’s perceptions about the capabilities of individuals who learn differently. With an inspiring growth mindset, Olivia has exceled in her academic coursework, and will go on to St. Clair College to study Practical Nursing this fall. Her work ethic, integrity and leadership roles at school and in the community have been an example of what it means to learn, lead and inspire. Olivia listens, takes time to understand other viewpoints, and seeks opportunities to support her fellow learners facing their own barriers to success.