Paying it forward with Gerald Mak
“One of the major lessons I’ve learned from the last 18 years of volunteering across multiple organizations is that community service is the rent that we pay for living,” says Gerald Mak. “By inspiring our youth to become future leaders, we are giving them the opportunity to be able to help gain the skills they need to become better members of society.”
Community service and the betterment of society is something that Mak (IT Management ‘13) not only thinks about, but acts upon. Currently a Strategy Manager for the Ontario Public Service, he has a long history of integrating community-centered volunteerism with his broader career journey. He is on the Board of Directors of the Children’s Aid Society, volunteers as a Community Consultant for Toronto Police Services (TPS) and has participated in philanthropic fundraisers to support organizations like Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, just to name a few.
“Half of my roles are grassroots, which is front line with youth, and the other half is higher level.” says Mak, “With the Board of Directors, we’re there to advise the Executive Team to make sure they operate as needed. [My work with TPS] is more to do with building stronger relationships with people in the community.”
Mak doesn’t shy away from the glaring truth—Black and Indigenous people are far less likely to trust the police (external link) in Toronto, and profiling is still pervasive (external link) across police interactions with racialized folks in the city. “There absolutely is mistrust in the community,” he explains, “I’m helping lead a review within TPS to look at systemic racism within the front line. We’re working with senior members and academic members to look at data and make recommendations to stem racial bias.”
His work has not gone unnoticed. Mak is a recipient of the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship (external link) , recognizing the long-term commitment of volunteers and the province’s community support workers. Continued involvement with Toronto Metropolitan University by judging case studies, offering advice on capstone projects and participating in panels has also earned Mak the G. Raymond Chang Outstanding Volunteer Award.
“When I was an undergrad, it was very hard finding those connections, and I still get those basic questions. In a year, there are 30-70 students who reach out to me asking for advice. I always try to pay it forward.”
The business and communications acumen he cultivated while studying IT Management at the Ted Rogers School of Management was grounded in building and implementing solutions. Mak also credits his involvement with extracurricular activities like the IT Conference and the Ted Rogers Student Society (external link) ’s Board of Directors with helping him build the “resilience” necessary for volunteer work as an adult. “I was able to transition and work in multiple sectors because of my background in tech. Early on, employers saw I was able to take on multiple tasks, and they wanted me to lead their community engagement.”
“All those years of involvement in university were purpose-driven, [building off] my volunteer work after high school. I wanted to make a difference in the community, I saw a lot of my friends in community housing.”
It may be the years of community service, but Mak is a realist about the draws and limitations of working in the private or public sectors. Having worked in finance before switching into the public sector, he’s seen first-hand the impact one person can have. He often tells students to switch jobs every two to three years for maximum exposure.
“Students should explore both private and public sector jobs. There are days when I do consider going back into the private sector, because they actually have budgets to support community engagement,” he adds, “but longer term, I’ve been able to make more of an impact.”