Celebrating volunteers who share their time and talents

This year’s G. Raymond Chang Outstanding Volunteer Awards will recognize 27 exceptional alumni and friends of Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) who share their expertise to mentor, inspire and create opportunities for students, plus much more.

Among the 2024 recipients are alumna Valerie Gow (Interior Design ’90), co-founder of Gow Hastings Architect, and Charles Marful, HR director for the assurance practice at Ernst & Young.

As a student, Gow “had such a fantastic time at TMU,” she said. But her passion for volunteering at the university was first ignited when she worked as a consultant on renovating the School of Interior Design in the early 2000s. 

“I saw my old desk, and it reminded me of my first day of school when Peter Rice from Rice Brydon – a celebrated interior design firm in the 1980s – visited and also saw his old desk, and put together a furniture drive where suppliers donated furniture to the school,” said Gow. “So I thought I could do something similar and rally suppliers to donate materials and expand the renovation. Volunteering and donations make projects more successful and they helped us to have a bigger impact.” 

Since then, Gow has volunteered both at the School of Interior Design within The Creative School, and the Department of Architectural Science within the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science. She generously shares her industry expertise, motivating students with stories and advice from her career, and serves as a portfolio review and thesis project critic. 

Gow is a frequent guest speaker in classrooms and a panelist at the high-profile Women in Architecture events, and mentors students during mock interviews, workshops, studio reviews and other activities. She also sits on the School of Interior Design Advisory Council and adjudicates scholarships and awards for Interior Design students.

At the Ted Rogers School of Management, Marful was first invited to volunteer by Wayne McFarland, an executive-in-residence. This led to Marful serving on the Human Resources and Organizational Behaviour Advisory Council for more than 10 years. Drawing from his expertise as a director of human resources, Marful shares ideas to update the curriculum, help students develop skills beyond the classroom and enhance the overall experience of business students. He is a sought-after mentor for students and alumni, and serves as a judge in case competitions. 

“When I was a student, I had lots of questions,” he said. “I’m sure today’s students have lots of questions, too.” Marful is happy to help them find answers. “When I was going to university, my dad told me it’s not only about the courses you’re taking; it’s also about the network and the insights that you are getting,” he said. “And I was lucky enough to have many people in industry who served as mentors, in addition to my professors.” He’s kept in touch with some of his early mentors for about 30 years. 

Volunteerism enriches lives 

At TMU, Marful has also given his time and talent to serve on a special program review advisory council, and his dedication and enthusiasm has influenced  the careers of students.

But for Marful, volunteering isn’t only about sharing knowledge. “While I give back, it gives me an opportunity to learn new insights and perspectives from and connect with students,” he said. “Without the opportunity to connect, I can easily have views that are very disconnected.”

On being honoured with the Chang Award, Marful said he’s both “humbled and surprised,” adding that the good work he does at TMU is not the result of his actions alone, but the combined effort of a community of volunteers.

As for Gow, “I’m thrilled,” she said about being honoured. “Volunteering enriched my life.” Gow Hastings also hires TMU students for co-op placements, giving her the chance to meet students at the very beginning of their careers and witness them grow to become top industry professionals.  

“Improving the student experience brings me joy,” she said. “My passion and my architectural and interior design practice are based on post-secondary education; we at Gow Hastings design environments for colleges and universities. And that student experience is further enhanced when we industry professionals share our experiences, donate our time and resources and do what we can to give back.” 

The G. Raymond Chang Outstanding Volunteer Awards are named in memory of the university’s third chancellor, who was beloved by TMU students and was a champion of volunteerism. You can find the full list of this year’s and past honourees here.