When HEROS Program Coordinator and Toronto District School Board Speech-Language Pathologist Tony Wray is asked what he likes about his work with children and youth, he says one of the best parts is sharing special moments with HEROS students and families during their graduation ceremonies.
“I’ve known some of the HEROS Jane-Finch students and families since the students were in kindergarten,” Tony said. “Their graduations are a celebration of everything the student, their family, their teachers, schools and the community have done to support them along the way.”
For the HEROS chapter in the Jane-Finch neighbourhood of Toronto, the 2021-2022 year is shaping up to be a highlight year of graduation celebrations, as the Jane-Finch HEROS has the highest graduation rate of any HEROS program across Canada for the 2021-2022 year.
HEROS is involved with Jane-Finch children and youth in the community through elementary, middle and high school, so each year there are graduations for each stage of schooling. The HEROS program takes pride in celebrating all the achievements our players accomplish along their academic journeys. It is the culmination of achievements and many hours of hard work, in addition to an opportunity for the team who supported the student to celebrate together.
In 2022, this Toronto HEROS community has a lot to celebrate.
This year, there are seven Future Stars that will be joining the All Star program once they graduate from Grade 8 in June. The Jane-Finch chapter is also increasing its number of alumni from 17 to 20, as there are three graduates in Grade 12. HEROS alumni are former HEROS All Stars who have gone on to pursue and attend post-secondary.
“All three of them have volunteered at least 80 hours with HEROS, and qualify for the Treavel Jackson HEROS bursary,” Tony said. “Two of those All Stars volunteered even in the middle of COVID, approximately 200 hours each. Only two other people have ever done that in HEROS history.”
The Treavel Jackson bursary was named in honour of late HEROS Jane-Finch All Star Treavel Jackson and provides HEROS students with $1000 per academic year for their post-secondary tuition expenses if they volunteer in all four years of high school. The Jane-Finch HEROS chapter not only has the most graduates this year but also has been awarded the most bursaries for education of any HEROS chapter.
According to Tony, HEROS provides its players with “a safe space to discover or even reveal who they are themselves. Some of our HEROS are strong students, strong athletes or leaders, and these students can be important role models.”
Tony’s community involvement includes providing current and former students with mentorship on topics like educational pursuits, careers and advocating for students’ best interests, as many of them are first-generation Canadians or the first in their families to attend and graduate post-secondary and need a support system. Tony has been personally invited to many graduation ceremonies by the schools’ faculty themselves. One of many special memories he has is when a HEROS graduated from Westview Centennial Secondary School and received a handful of awards during the 2016 ceremony. The student didn’t represent the A-plus student or the elite athlete, but they represented what is at the heart of HEROS and the Jane-Finch community. This student was “somebody who faced challenges along the way” and who never gave up.
“To see that student receive so many awards like that was actually one of the highlights,” Tony said. “HEROS is one of the most important tools that children learn for success.”
Graduates at each stage of the HEROS program gain the tools necessary to thrive as leaders in their community and in the paths they choose to pursue. Graduates also gain the opportunity to be part of a larger community with people who want to see them succeed. From the All Stars to the HEROS alumni, HEROS graduates are able to see the possibilities far beyond themselves and what they can accomplish with a powerful team behind them.
Here’s to a great year of HEROS graduations and many more to come!
To read more about Tony’s story, click here.