Awards / Alumni Recognition

Recognizing Extraordinary Alumni

Congratulations to this year’s Alumni Recognition Award recipients. These awards shine the spotlight on Men of Character for their exceptional achievements and service to the community.

ments, showing commitment and making contributions to their communities.”

Alumni Excellence Award

Hessam Ghadaki ’99 is the general counsel at Times Group and Life Construction Inc., a family-owned development and construction company in the GTA. In 2018, Times Group partnered with the City of Toronto to convert a 90,000 sq. ft. former Toronto Hydro facility into a 400-bed refugee resettlement center —the largest of its kind in Canada. Later in 2020, Times Group converted a 130-unit apartment building in midtown Toronto into a temporary shelter to combat increased homelessness during the pandemic under the City of Toronto Streets to Homes program. Hessam has been recognized for his local volunteer efforts by the University of Toronto (Arbour Award) and by the Building Industry and Land Development Organization (BILD) where he acts as a director and treasurer.

The Alumni Excellence Award honours Crescent alumni who distinguish themselves in their professional careers, personal endeavours and community service.

Young Alumni Excellence Award

Matthew Corolis ’13 is a documentary filmmaker and screenwriter. In 2017, he created his first documentary film, Alicia, which profiles Canadian Olympic track and field athlete Alicia Brown’s fight to prove her innocence, after testing positive for a banned substance. He took his desire to tell social impact stories to Tanzania, where he directed the film Cancer Divided with fellow alumnus Carter Smith ’13. The film earned them an Honorary Distinction from the World Health Organization. His 2023 animated documentary, The Reconnaissance Painter, is about WWII RCAF photographer and painter John Fleetwood-Morrow. As a screenwriter, he co-wrote a feature film script with actress-director Catherine Mary Stewart, which is in development with producer Michael Nolin.

The Young Alumni Excellence Award honours Crescent alumni who have graduated in the past 15 years and who have already distinguished themselves in their careers, personal endeavours and community service.

Alumni Community Leadership Award

Jamie Coulter ’87, P’21 has spent the last 35 years giving back to the Crescent community. He is currently Chair of Crescent’s Board of Governors, a role he assumed in 2019. Prior to this, Jamie sat on the Alumni Executive, serving as Alumni Executive Chair from 2016–2019. He co-chaired the Alumni Internship Program from 2013–2016, and has provided internships and full-time employment opportunities for many of his fellow Crescent alumni at Raymond James Ltd., where he is CEO. Through his leadership as Class Co-Chair, the Pat Mills Family Class of ’87 Bursary has raised more money than any other graduating class, topping $1 million to date. Jamie continues to have a profound impact on the Crescent community, leaving a lasting legacy that will benefit students and alumni for years to come.

The Alumni Community Leadership Award honours Crescent alumni whose tireless commitment has enhanced the overall Crescent experience for students and other alumni.