Alumni Awards

Congratulations to the 2023 Alumni Award recipients: Jennifer Slay '99 is the Alumni Award of Distinction recipient, and Bangishimo '13 is the Recent Graduate Award recipient.

“Two exceptional alumni, Jennifer Slay '99 and Bangishimo '13, were celebrated this fall for their uniquely exceptional contributions and remarkable achievements. We are proud to count each of them as esteemed members of the King’s community.”

- Jennifer Ayers '08, Alumni Awards Selection Committee Chair

ALUMNI AWARD OF DISTINCTION

Jennifer Slay '99 is King's first Director of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization (EDID). Her professional career has spanned over 23 years. After graduating from King's, she began her career in social work. She moved up the ranks at the Children's Aid Society from conducting investigations as an Intake Worker to Supervisor of Indigenous Family Services. In 2012, she received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee medal for her work in the community and was recognized as one of Canada's Women of Confidence in Chatelaine magazine. She co-created and produced Melanated View for Rogers Television, which, in 2020, earned her the City of London Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Oppression Award. Jennifer served as a member and Vice-President of The Congress of Black Women of Canada - London Chapter.

A psychotherapist who helps persons with anxiety and depression, Jennifer is the owner of Jennifer Slay Counseling and Coaching. She has authored several books, including Finesse Your Life - Mind, Body, & Spirit and the Finesse Your Life journal, and is the co-author of Dreaming Big, Being Bold.

Her nominator said that Jennifer was "the epitome of when passion meets hard work."

"While it must be noted that Jennifer held positions of leadership in the workplace and no doubt inspired other visible minority coworkers to aspire for leadership, it is Jennifer's appointment as King's University College Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Decolonization that has inspired so many Black women. Jennifer's work ethic, integrity, and empathy for humanity are demonstrated in how she leads both in the corporate arena and in the not-for-profit world. She has used this to inspire other women and girls to be all they can be and 'Slay' at it," added the nominator.

At the Awards Ceremony, Jennifer acknowledged those who have supported her at every stage of her life, including her family, friends and colleagues. “I am very humbled and very honoured to receive this award. The person I most want to dedicate this award to is my mother. There would be no Jen Slay without Rosalie Ansine.”

Recent Graduate Award

Bangishimo '13, an IndigiQueer Anishinaabe originally from Couchiching First Nations, is a photographer, filmmaker, community advocate, and co-founder of O:se Kenhionhata:tie, also known as Land Back Camp.

After earning their Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) from King's in 2013, Bangishimo moved to Kitchener-Waterloo to pursue their Masters of Social Work: Indigenous Field of Study from Wilfrid Laurier University. At the end of their program, Bangishimo and their mother, a Residential School survivor, made national news as the first parent and child to graduate at the same time from the same program at Wilfrid Laurier University.

Bangishimo was the Events Coordinator at the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC) at the University of Waterloo for five years before leaving to pursue their love of photography. They travelled the world for a year, visiting twelve countries and numerous Indigenous communities, taking photos and sharing the stories of the people they met along the way for their project "Nations and Voices."

Since 2018, Bangishimo has created numerous portrait series that have been on display in art spaces across Canada, including a 25-foot-long billboard in downtown Kitchener. In 2020, Bangishimo's portrait series "Land Back Camp: Our Voices" won the Briarpatch Magazine's "Writing in the Margins" contest.

In 2012, Bangishimo became a community organizer with the Idle No More movement, a worldwide Indigenous movement to bring attention to the injustices done to Indigenous peoples across Canada. In 2020, they helped found O:se Kenhionhata:tie, also known as Land Back Camp, in Kitchener's Willow River Park, establishing a safe and inclusive space for Indigenous and Two-Spirit communities and creating an environment for Indigenous people to reconnect with their culture and learn about their Indigeneity.

Bangishimo was selected as the City of Kitchener's Artist in Residence 2022-2023. As the first Indigenous artist in this role, they worked on a portrait series titled "The Medicines We Carry" along with local artist Britney Baldwin.

"By raising awareness of Indigenous issues and advocating for change, Bangishimo played a crucial role in fostering a sense of activism and social justice within the campus community," said the nominator, adding that "they continue to be a role model for students passionate about social justice and community change."

Bangishimo acknowledged the School of Social Work at the Awards Ceremony, saying, "I walked out these doors [at King's] exactly ten years ago this month with knowledge and skills that I continue to share with many communities and young people. It's been an amazing and beautiful journey. Thank you for this honour."

Call for Nominations
To nominate a King's grad for the Alumni Award of Distinction or Recent Graduate Award, go to www.kings.uwo.ca/alumni-awards