Valedictorian Biographies
Mannat, Office Administration – Health Services
Pilon School of Business
Mannat exemplified resilience, independence and academic excellence while navigating the challenges of living abroad, balancing work, volunteering and student life. At Sheridan, she’s experienced growth, purpose and a dedication to making a meaningful impact on the community. A milestone in her journey was her field placement, where she honed her skills and her values of resilience, diligence and dedication. Sheridan has provided Mannat with a platform to develop holistically. She served as president of the OA Vibe Tribe Club, leading efforts to create culturally sensitive, inclusive events that enriched student life. Her contributions were recognized with an award from the Sheridan Student Union and the prestigious Bruno Team Leadership Award. As a student ambassador and parking associate, she engaged with a diverse student body while gaining professional experience. She strives to leave a lasting impact by making a difference and inspiring those around her.
Rana El Ayoubi, General Arts and Science (Certificate)
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Rana is graduating with an English Language Studies (ESL) certificate. She achieved impressive marks in reading, writing, listening and speaking. Her language skills enabled her to take in complex texts, express ideas clearly in writing, and engage confidently in academic discussions. She approached her studies with a lot of enthusiasm and consistently took initiative in class activities. Always eager to improve, Rana sought feedback and applied it effectively. She consistently demonstrated a positive attitude and a strong work ethic. She was always happy to support her peers who needed help navigating SLATE or other digital platforms, and generously shared her understanding of concepts that classmates found challenging.
Tishika Soni, Advertising and Marketing Communications – Management
Pilon School of Business
Throughout her time at Sheridan, Tishika demonstrated a strong commitment to academic excellence and student support. She immersed herself in coursework and extracurricular initiatives, making a lasting impact on her peers and the campus community. She served as a course tutor, First Year Experience Initiatives facilitator and advertising intern, and played a vital role in guiding fellow students by facilitating workshops or providing academic support in media studies. In addition to academic success, Tishika proudly represented Sheridan as a Quiz Bowl finalist at the Ontario Colleges Marketing Competition, showcasing her expertise and enthusiasm for the industry. Tishika’s time at Sheridan has been transformational, shaping her approach to both professional and personal growth. With a deep appreciation for the connections and lessons gained during her studies, she feels ready to apply her skills and insights to the advertising and marketing industry.
Mehreen Musharafa, Business Analysis and Process Management
Pilon School of Business
Mehreen demonstrated strong leadership, resilience, adaptability, and a deep commitment to academic excellence and community support during her time at Sheridan. She integrated her diverse experiences with the opportunities at Sheridan to build a strong academic and personal foundation, while forming meaningful connections. Whether driving high-performing academic projects, mentoring peers through significant transitions, or delivering insightful presentations, she consistently led with compassion, reliability, strategic thinking, and integrity. She offered thoughtful support to peers navigating challenges — providing guidance, sharing academic resources and taking on additional responsibilities to promote collective success. A proactive and curious student, Mehreen contributed to a culture of excellence and mutual growth. She graduates having reached a significant milestone aligned with her long-term aspirations, carrying with her a sharpened sense of purpose, resilience and a passion for meaningful impact. Her journey reflects a deep belief in community, collaboration, and kindness — values she will continue to embody as she steps into the next chapter of her career.
Rochell Samuels, International Business Management
Pilon School of Business
When Rochell first walked through Sheridan’s doors, she wasn’t just searching for lectures or grades — she was looking for belonging. She found it by diving into the PSB community as someone who showed up, showed out and showed heart. Whether she was welcoming new students with a smile and a Sheridan swag bag, lending her creativity to marketing projects or planning events that brought students together, Rochell made it her mission to leave every space brighter than she found it. She balanced multiple jobs, built a business from the ground up and managed to make time for late-night study sessions, on-campus traditions and friendships that turned into family. She surprised herself by how much she was capable of becoming. Her journey is proof that success isn’t just about grades — it’s about grit, growth and giving back. Rochell steps into the next chapter with pride, purpose and her Sheridan onecard — just in case there's a discount to be claimed.
Cat Nguyen, Business – Finance
Pilon School of Business
At Sheridan, Cat embraced personal growth, new experiences and the challenge of stepping beyond her comfort zone. Initially introverted and focused only on academics, she went on to discover the value of engaging with student life. Cat was a student ambassador, supporting events, exploring different roles and maximizing her college experience. As a Social Change Ambassador, she organized events and was involved with SheridanLife Radio and the SSU. Her transformation into an open, proactive individual who balanced studying, working, playing and exploring has shaped her outlook on life. From discovering a passion for marketing to developing new hobbies, she carries forward resilience, creativity and a broadened perspective. Sheridan has been a platform for Cat’s evolution, providing the space to grow academically, socially and personally, reflecting a commitment to self-improvement, adaptability and the excitement of embracing new challenges. Cat steps into the next chapter with confidence, a wealth of experiences and the drive to continue learning.
Jesse Plews, Honours Bachelor of Health Sciences (Kinesiology and Health Promotion)
Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies
Jesse consistently exemplified the values of integrity, leadership, compassion and resilience throughout his academic journey. A natural community builder, he went above and beyond to foster a sense of connection and support among his peers. He showed leadership and community building during his tenure as president of the Sheridan Kinesiology and Health Promotion Student Association, and played a vital role in creating an environment where others felt seen, heard, and valued – further demonstrated by him being awarded the Rayan Kaber memorial award. What makes Jesse remarkable is not only the way he excels academically or leads with kindness, but the way he persevered through a life-altering moment. He remained committed to his goals, and showed dedication and courage. He carried his grief with grace and allowed it to deepen his empathy and fuel his purpose. Jesse not only excels academically, but he is a young man of character, a leader among his peers, and someone whose story will continue to inspire long after graduation.
Josh Colliopoulos, Police Foundations
Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies
Josh has demonstrated responsibility and commitment to his academics and the Sheridan community through volunteerism and recruitment efforts. He came to Sheridan in search of an experiential learning opportunity and graduated with the highest GPA in his class. Beyond his academic dedication, Josh was actively engaged in extracurricular activities. He served as the team leader of the Police Foundations Internship program and participated in the Peel Regional Police Before the Badge Internship, gaining hands-on learning experiences. He was involved in the Ontario Provincial Police Internship Program which concluded with two ride-alongs. Josh is set to receive the Brian Ritchie Memorial Award this June for demonstrating the greatest level of improvement in his studies. He also contributed to charity events such as the Cops for Cancer and Toys for Tots Basketball Game, and volunteered as a course marshal, and in park clean-ups and recruitment activities. Josh will be starting his role as a cadet at Halton Regional Police.
Jennifer Logan, Honours Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership
Faculty of Applied Health and Community Studies
Jennifer Logan is a proud Registered Early Childhood Educator who has 28 years of experience in the early learning and care profession. She is dedicated to advancing mentorship initiatives in the Peel Region and supports educators through evidence-based capacity building and professional learning. She is known for embracing life-long learning, valuing the perspectives of others and fostering collaborative relationships that promote growth and reflection. Jennifer completed her degree at Sheridan on a part-time basis. She pursued this degree to strengthen her impact on educator development and outcomes for children and families while continuing her work in the sector. Jennifer is deeply honoured to represent her program and Faculty as the Class of 2025 valedictorian.
Kat Quirk, Honours Bachelor of Film and Television
Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design
Kat was a dedicated student who demonstrated academic excellence during her time at Sheridan. She was the recipient of the Sheridan Student Union award for Most Outstanding Graduate in BFTV and the Annex Pro Award for Academic Achievement in Editing. Focused on pursuing a career as a picture editor in the creative screen industries, Kat has edited several student films during her time in BFTV. For her field placement Kat interned at Skyship Entertainment, a children’s media company. She was offered a full-time position to start after graduation. In addition to her academic achievements Kat demonstrated a strong commitment to community service by serving as the President of the SSU club SWIFT (Sheridan Women in Film and Television). In this role, she planned membership meetings and events, and created community connections between all four years of BFTV students.
Rubiat Fusigboye, Honours Bachelor of Interaction Design
Faculty of Animation, Arts & Design
Ruby (Rubiat) Fusigboye exemplified the highest standards of academic excellence, professional achievement and community impact that Sheridan represents. Her journey, from addressing personal creative challenges to becoming an influential voice in the design industry demonstrates leadership and innovation. Through her groundbreaking Phantasia Exhibition and her presentations at Adobe MAX 2024 Creative Cloud Summit, Ruby showed remarkable ability to translate academic learning into real-world solutions. Her work addressed critical industry challenges around creative burnout and perfectionism and provided practical frameworks for positive change. As an Adobe Insider, Ruby distinguished herself as a thought leader, and created valuable connections between academia and industry. Ruby's impact extends beyond individual achievement – she created lasting value for the Sheridan community and the broader creative industry. Her journey from struggling with creative burnout to developing innovative solutions that help others shows empathy, resilience and leadership. Ruby represents not just academic excellence, but the transformative power of experiential learning and the ability to create meaningful impact in one's chosen field.
Paras Sharma, Computer Systems Technician – Information Technology Infrastructure and Services
Faculty of Applied Science and Technology
Paras Sharma was an exceptional student in the CST-ITIS Program. Over the past two years, he demonstrated strong academic performance, leadership and a dedication to the Sheridan community. As a student ambassador, he represented Sheridan at numerous events, and enjoyed supporting new students by sharing knowledge and offering campus tours. He volunteered for community clean-ups, created promotional content for Sheridan’s electrical study program and represented Sheridan on social media. His involvement in convocation as an ambassador inspired a passion to serve as valedictorian. Paras is a recipient of the Sheridan College Leadership and Strengths Certificate. He has excellent communication, public speaking and problem-solving skills. His enthusiasm, commitment and leadership made him a strong candidate to represent the graduating class of 2025.
Alberto Francisco Schramm De Avila, Honours Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical Engineering)
Faculty of Applied Science and Technology
Alberto’s journey at Sheridan was filled with learning and challenges. He came to Sheridan with an open mind, eager to gain both the academic knowledge and hands-on experience offered by his program. Thanks to his outstanding dedication and performance, he ultimately ranked among the top students. Alberto’s time at Sheridan was enriched by meaningful relationships built on mutual respect. Originally from Brazil, he embraced the challenge of moving to a new country to pursue his dream program at an outstanding college. He worked at the Centre for Intelligent Manufacturing as well as in the Athletics Department, assisting with various athletics and school activities. During his time at Sheridan, he was given the opportunity to connect with many experienced faculty members who shared their knowledge and skills, helping Alberto grow personally and professionally.
Chulyoung Hur, Plumbing Technician
Faculty of Applied Science and Technology
Chulyoung’s performance and dedication to his studies was outstanding. He consistently showed diligence towards his work, along with leadership skills and a great work ethic. He worked well in a team setting and his friendly disposition was contagious. He is a team leader and was always willing to help others. He went above and beyond to demonstrate student success. His positive attitude and smile resonated throughout the classroom and in the department. He was also the first-place winner in the plumbing category of this year’s Sheridan Skills competition — a testimony to his academic success. His genuine passion for the trades and strong practical skills set him apart from his peers.
