Georgian coordinator receives Minister of Colleges and Universities Award of Excellence

May 17, 2024

For fostering the well-being of students, Georgian College program coordinator Stephen Waller has received the Minister of Colleges and Universities (MCU) Award of Excellence.

These awards highlight the incredible work of professors, instructors, staff and graduate students at Ontario’s publicly assisted colleges and universities, Indigenous Institutes, private postsecondary institutions and career colleges.

Known for his passion for bringing students together and fostering their well-being, Stephen, the coordinator in Georgian’s Protection, Security and Investigations program, developed and launched College of Rock, a 10-week guitar boot camp. This boot camp helped to deepen students’ connections to the campus community and to reduce barriers to accessing mental health and well-being services.

Mary Louise Noce, Dean, Human Services and Community Safety, Minister Jill Dunlop (MCU), Stephen Waller, Program Coordinator, Protection, Security and Investigations, and Greg Losier, Chair of the PSIN program advisory committee.

Stephen’s strong ties and 25-year service to the Canadian Armed Forces and intelligence and security community have led to unique learning opportunities for students, including a mental health workshop delivered by the Toronto Police Military Veteran Wellness Program.

During his vacation time, he also travelled to Nova Scotia as part of Team Rubicon to respond to a wildfire. Taking his experiences with disaster relief back to the classroom, Steve inspires his students in the Protection, Security and Investigation program to embody Georgian’s commitment to community engagement, and, as such, he is committed to creating the conditions for students to make a difference in their communities. Read more about Stephen’s experience.

Back home, he organized a food drive with community partner Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care that supported breakfast programs at four Orillia high schools.

Stephen embodies the values of community engagement and inclusion both in and out of the classroom and has a strong dedication to serving the community, which is evident through his service work.