The True Blue Award emerged from the most recent Speaking Up: Faculty & Staff Experience Survey. The results showed that feeling valued and recognized in the communities in which they work rated highly among employees.
The True Blue Award complements the recognition programs already in existence at the University of Toronto (U of T) and provides staff and faculty with an opportunity to recognize their colleagues in a more informal way. Award recipients are nominated by their colleagues for embodying U of T’s true-blue spirit.
Read on to find out why.
Teresa Biderman
Family Resource Centre
“Teresa, more than any one I have ever worked with, has a unique talent to create a sense of community and make everyone feel included.”
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“She has the abilities to create [a] truly diverse and inclusive community by inviting people to share their expertise, cultures, concerns and experiences.
“She is also a caring mentor. She guided me throughout my placement at the Family Resource Centre with positive advice and suggestions and gave me opportunities and the room to try out something new as well.
“She may not reach [an] auditorium full of people, but Teresa is making positive changes in individual lives for [the] U of T community every day.”
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“We worked together many years ago at the Counselling & Learning Skills Service, where she took charge of a sometimes chaotic office with grace, efficiency and good humour. It was a front desk position at which she was often confronted by students in distress. She greeted them with warmth, empathy and calm assurance, and they responded by immediately, and palpably, relaxing.
“I was impressed by her deft [at] combining authority with kindness — a rare gift.”
Does this remind you of someone you know? Nominate them for a True Blue Award.