view . spring 2013
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RISING STARS RECOGNIZED WITH ODYSSEY AWARD
The Odyssey Award is presented to alumni in the early years of their careers who have distinguished
themselves through professional or personal accomplishments.
Kyle Blair BFA ’01 and Laura Condlln BFA ’01
Actors
Close friends Blair and Condlln graduated together and
enjoy working as actors in theatres across Canada.
Blair
played many roles at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals and
is equally talented as a singer, dancer and actor. He has
won many prestigious awards including Stratford Festival’s
Tyrone Guthrie Award, the Maureen Forrester Award, and
the Dora Mavor Moore Award.
Condlln
has been with
the Stratford Shakespeare Festival for 11 seasons and has
a number of credits to her name. She is a recipient of the
prestigious Mary Savidge Award from the Festival.
Shantelle Browning-Morgan
BA ’00, BEd ’01, MEd ’08
Educator
Browning-Morgan
is the
recipient of the Governor
General’s History Award—one
of Canada’s highest honours for
a teacher. She piloted the course, The History of Africa
and Peoples of African Descent, which illuminates the
history of a unique group of people who settled in the
local region to escape slavery. Working with the Essex
County Black Historical Research Society and the Essex
County District School Board to develop materials which
highlight the history of African Canadians in the region,
she served as a lead researcher, writer, and editor for the
project. In Browning-Morgan’s class, students acquire
an understanding of the cultural, social, economic, and
political contributions from Africa and the diaspora in local
and global contexts.
Gary Kalaci BSc ’05, LLB ’09, MBA ’09 and
Michael Kaye MBA ’08
Co-founders, Alexa Translations
In 2009, Gary Kalaci and Michael Kaye co-founded Alexa
Translations, a premier translation and interpretation
provider. The Toronto Board of Trade Business Excellence
Awards recognized both in its 2012 Under 30 category.
Kalaci
was only 16 years old when he offered his gift for
languages to translate to foreign aid workers who helped
the refugees who poured into his Albanian homeland during
the Kosovo War. While a UWindsor student, he launched
the Golden Future Project to raise HIV and AIDS awareness
and to foster life skills and to improve the lives of youth
and vulnerable communities in South Africa. He was the
first-ever recipient of the prestigious Therese Casgrain
Volunteer Award given by the Government of Canada.
Kaye
impacted the company’s growth through new
client acquisition, client relationship management, policy
development and strategic direction. He is a member of
the Executive Management Advisory Board of the Odette
School of Business, the Board of Advisors of the Golden
Future South Africa Project, Peace Builder’s International
Canada and the Toronto Chapter Annual Humphrey
Memorial Golf tournament.
Kara Ro BA ’00
Athlete and Radio/
TV announcer
A professional boxer,
Ro
held a
17-0 record and earned the title
Women’s International Boxing
Association lightweight champion.
She employs her boxing career as a platform to inspire
young women and is passionate about being a supportive
role model. Ro is a certified professional life coach, owner
of KORE Consulting, and served as the Women’s Boxing
