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Durham College celebrates 2025 Alumni of Distinction recipients

This year, Durham College (DC) welcomes five individuals to the long list of outstanding graduates who have been recognized as the college’s Alumni of Distinction.

The 2025 Alumni of Distinction recipients Jeremy Burns, Aaron Dale, Chris Cull, Shawn Small and Paula Sojo, will be celebrated at DC’s Spring Convocation.

“We are so proud to celebrate this group of inspiring DC graduates,” said Ariel Sully, Associate Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations. “Each of them has found success in a career path using their own experiences to guide and assist others.”

  • Jeremy Burns

    Penelogy and Youth, 2005
    Law and Security Administration, 2004

    Aaron dale

    Police Foundations, 2005

    As Canadian Armed Forces veterans, Burns and Dale have a personal understanding of the gaps in support for military veterans. Together, they co-founded the Military Veterans Wellness Program (MVWP), a pioneering initiative designed to support Canadian military veterans in their transition to civilian life and improve public safety. The program is now part of mandatory training for Toronto police officers and more than 18,000 people have participated in the training in Canada. MVWP has been adapted internationally and is in the process of implementation in Australia, Ukraine, and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL). Burns graduated from the Penology and Youth program in 2005 and the Law and Security Administration program in 2004, while Dale graduated from Police Foundations in 2005. Both have served as Toronto Police Service officers for the past six years.

  • CHRIS CULL

    Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technician, 2007

    A 2007 graduate of Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning Technician, Cull’s inspiring achievements in health sciences are rooted in his personal transformation from opioid addiction to recovery and advocacy. Collaborating with DC’s Social Impact Hub, he created his 2023-2024 docuseries, Surviving Addiction, which highlights the humanity behind addiction and how it affects individuals and those surrounding them. A motivational speaker, filmmaker, and policy consultant, he has advised numerous institutions, including but not limited to, the Ontario Health Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, the Government of Canada, and the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. In addition, he is a member of the World Health Organization's Strategic and Technical Advisory Group on Mental Health, Neurological and Substance Use Conditions.

  • SHAWN SMALL

    Sports Administration, 1998

    Founder and President of RISE Integrated Sports + Entertainment, Small has built an agency that champions diversity, inclusion, and innovation in sports partnerships. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded major sponsorship initiatives for organizations, including Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, Northern Super League, and the Canadian Elite Basketball League. An industry leader, he regularly shares his insights as an event speaker, panellist, and awards judge. Beyond driving measurable success for sports organizations, Small is dedicated to mentorship, helping to guide the next generation of sports leaders. He has also made an impact on DC students, previously teaching in the program that shaped his own professional journey in 1998, Sports Administration, and serving as a member of the Program Advisory Committee.

  • PAULA SOJO

    Photography, 2025
    Video Production, 2024

    At the age of 18, Paula Sojo was diagnosed with a severe case of Crohn’s disease, resulting in 17 surgeries and a permanent ostomy. Determined to help others, she teamed up with her brother to found Ostome Fashion, a thriving business that provides fashionable and empowering options to all ostomy users. With help from family, friends, and mentors, she has not only changed her life but also promoted representation and acceptance and empowered her community. Sojo is a 2024 graduate of the Video Production program and will cross the Convocation stage for a second time this spring as a 2025 graduate of DC’s Photography program.

Thousands of graduates will celebrate their achievements next month at DC’s Spring Convocation, which takes place from Monday, June 16 to Thursday, June 19 at the Tribute Communities Centre.

Durham College Faculty of Business students earn second place in national Sports Management case competition

Sports Business Management student Annika Bell had never been a part of a business case competition, so she was thrilled when her Durham College (DC) team placed second in the MLSE PrimeTime Sports Case Competition in November.

Under the guidance of professors and coaches Sheldon Koufman and Ian Ellis, and the leadership of Team Captain and Marketing student Mason Wright, the team of five included two other Sport Business Management students, Sapandeep Messina, Josh Dasilva, and Sport Management student Coulter Babcock.

Following tryouts in September, the team trained using MLSE cases from previous years. In the first couple of weeks, they figured out the team’s strengths and weaknesses and divided their members into specialty areas from financial analysis to creative. Then they drilled cases, working especially hard on refining the return on investment in each solution they presented. At each step, their coaches helped them tighten their teamwork and improve their speed and presentation skills.

“It was great to have the coaches. We needed that guidance and structure, and it was nice to have them to motivate us,” said Bell.

But nothing could prepare the team for the actual competition day, where the topic turned out to be a bit of a curveball: how to improve equity, diversity and inclusion within the sports industry.

“We had focused our practice on cases that would bring in revenue, and this was industry based,” said Bell. The team nonetheless quickly got to work, brainstorming ideas and coming up with a solution that really resonated with the judges. In their 15-minute presentation, they proposed community collaborations where every month would kick off a focus on a different equity-deserving group (a sample event was an LGBTQ+ game night), while continuing to follow up with each group afterwards to ensure continuity.

“The judges loved it—we got lot of comments, and they liked the idea of us thinking long-term,” said Bell.

Bell said that the overall learning experience of participating in the case team was valuable from start to finish. She called out the team captain in particular for his leadership. “We wouldn’t have gotten where we were without our captain, Mason. He was there for us, he really went above and beyond,” said Bell, adding that the day itself was great for networking, both with the other case teams and also with the opportunity to attend the PrimeTime Sports Management Conference and trade show where the competition took place.

Originally from New Brunswick, where she completed a bachelor’s degree from Mount Allison University with honours research in sports media and communication, Bell said she came to DC specifically for the Sport Business Management graduate certificate. She recently accepted an internship in Nova Scotia as marketing coordinator with one of Canada’s new soccer teams, the Halifax Tides. “My passion is to work within the sports industry, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” said Bell.

DC Faculty of Business students win second place in national Sports Case Competition

A group of five students from the Faculty of Business made Durham College (DC) history recently during the 2023 Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE) PrimeTime Sports Case Competition. The team placed second – ranking above competitors from across Canada with their strategic and innovative business solution.

Sheldon Koufman and Ian Ellis, Sport Management faculty and DC’s Case Competition coaches said the experience of competing at this event is a great way for students to hone their skills, develop and improve their network, enhance their teamwork and resilience, and to try to solve real-world problems they may encounter in the sports business industry after graduation.

“The team had a blend of diverse talents that came together to exemplify a cohesive unit,” said Ellis. “Their dedication to planning and preparing for the competition was truly admirable, and ultimately, their ability to collaborate and a shared passion for excellence culminated in an outstanding result that highlighted the team’s strategic thinking and collective intelligence.”

The MLSE PrimeTime Sports Case Competition is run by seasoned sports executives Brian Burke and Trevor Whiffen and attracts students from post-secondary institutions across Canada. This year, students were challenged with developing a digital engagement project – focused on increasing customer engagement and loyalty for MLSE and its brands.

The DC team strategized and pitched a loyalty program that connects to all MLSE apps and their associated sponsors. Through their proposed idea, customers and corporate sponsors would be rewarded with points for future purchases.

Dylan Foster, a Sport Business Management student and the team’s captain, attributes the team’s success in part to their classroom experience.

“The skills you have to develop to be successful in this program translate very easily to being a successful team. Everyone is on the same page, working towards the same goal and our combination of skills made us a force to be reckoned with,” Foster said. “It was an amazing experience and an honour to compete and to represent Durham College at such a competitive event. The team building and preparation with the team was just as rewarding for me as the second-place win.”