Alumnae Achievement

At the present time the Alumnae Achievement Awards is paused to focus on the 125th Birthday celebration.

The Alumnae Achievement Award is presented annually to a living alumna or old girl in recognition of her outstanding dedication and accomplishments in her life’s work, either professional and/or volunteer. There are three categories for the Alumnae Achievement Award: Junior Alumna Achievement Award, Distinguished Alumna Achievement Award, and Lifetime Alumna Achievement Award.

Junior Alumna Achievement Award

Recognizes an Alumna or Old Girl aged 18-40 years who has made a significant difference either by pursuing her passion or supporting a cause. She is constantly showing perseverance, creativity and compassion in her approach.

Distinguished Alumna Achievement Award

Recognizes an Alumna or Old Girl for her outstanding accomplishments in a particular field. Through her dedicated professional approach, she has facilitated changes and created opportunities contributing to advancing the role women play in society.

Lifetime ALumna Achievement Award

Recognizes an Alumna or Old Girl for making a significant contribution to her profession, for her lifetime dedication and/or service to her community or a cause and particularly for contributing to advancing the role women play in society.

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2022 Award Winners

Lifetime ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Crofton House School and the CHS Alumnae Association are pleased to award Sheila Ross ’49 the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award for her tireless commitment to bettering her community and immense generosity to those in need. 

After moving to Vancouver from Montreal, Sheila and her sister, Jane Graham, boarded at Crofton House in 1942. Sheila went into sixth grade and Jane went into eighth grade. Sheila’s memories from those years include Sunday evenings when Miss Bryant, the headmistress at the time, would read short stories by writers like Anton Chekhov in the senior lounge; being taken downtown to the Orpheum to see Marian Anderson perform; the annual Hallowe’en party and midnight feasts with food that had been smuggled into the dorms. Of her friendships with the other boarders, Sheila says, we became very close, we were like sisters. In twelfth grade, Sheila was chosen as Head Girl. She graduated from Crofton House School in 1949 and then spent one year at McGill University and three years at UBC, where she graduated with a degree in economics. Sheila’s education experience at Crofton House was the start of three generations at the School with both of Sheila’s daughters, Nancy Ross ’76 and Cathie Ross Sabiston ’73 attending as did her granddaughter, Rosilind Ross ’11.

The following year, Sheila married her husband, Robert Ross, a lawyer. As a young mother, Sheila joined the Junior League where members were asked to pick a charity where they would volunteer. Sheila learned Braille for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind and volunteered at the genetics lab at the Children’s Hospital, writing up genetic profiles. Sheila attributes her years with the Junior League to her long-standing interest in philanthropy. Sheila and her husband, in addition to keeping busy running a stable and competing in horse shows, started a foundation with the Vancouver Foundation. A charity that is very close to her heart is the Nature Trust of British Columbia because, as Sheila says, we need to save the land in our province to be able to save the animals. In 2017, Sheila was recognized with the Joseph and Rosalie Segal United Way Community Vision Award. About five years ago, Sheila joined the Vancouver branch of CARE Canada whose mandate is to empower women and girls through education. The Vancouver branch specifically focuses on women and girls’ education in Malawi. Sheila has always been a strong advocate of education and has taken a strong interest in the education of her own children, as well as that of her twelve grandchildren and her one great grandchild. Sheila is also an avid golf player. She is looking forward to celebrating her 91st birthday this April. 
 

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Crofton House School and the CHS Alumnae Association are pleased to award Ambassador Aliya Mawani ’91 the 2022 Distinguished Alumna Achievement Award for her tremendous accomplishments in international relations and diplomacy, as well as her strong advocacy for women’s rights. 

Recently appointed the Ambassador of Canada to the State of Kuwait by the Governor General of Canada (upon recommendation of the Prime Minister), Aliya’s extensive diplomatic career has spanned two decades and numerous countries. She studied international relations at Vassar College in New York; holds a law degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada; and was a Leadership Fellow at the THNK Amsterdam School of Creative Leadership. Aliya is the first Muslim woman to serve as a Canadian Ambassador abroad and has served as a diplomatic representative of Canada to various countries in the Middle East. While her presence in this senior position is sufficiently significant in its own right to inspire other women to follow in her footsteps, Aliya has deliberately and proactively worked to highlight and expand the role of women in meaningful ways - from advocating for women’s rights to bringing more women into policy and decision-making fora; to amplifying the voices and narratives of women leaders in contexts where they are underrepresented. Aliya consistently makes a difference in the lives of Canadians and others around the world through her diplomatic skill, strong advocacy, and unwavering commitment to mentorship and helping others succeed.
 

JUNIOR ALUMNA ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Crofton House School and the CHS Alumnae Association are pleased to award Hannah McCormack ’99 the 2022 Junior Alumna Achievement Award for her outstanding work in youth mental health and counselling. 

Hannah is a Registered Clinical Counsellor working in the independent school system as a Personal and Post-Secondary Counsellor. After obtaining her BA from UBC, Hannah found her professional calling in the field of mental health. Hannah completed both a diploma and MA in Counselling Psychology, focused on supporting neurodiversity in children. Hannah originally worked supporting at-risk youth with barriers to employment and those with complex developmental and behavioural conditions. Since 2010, Hannah has worked with students from JK -12 often supporting students with learning differences, ADHD, ASD and adverse childhood experiences. Hannah provides her expertise to parents and professionals and has developed highly successful programs that have made significant impacts on their participants. As both a counsellor and mentor, Hannah's compassionate, creative, and purposeful approach to her career has led to brighter outcomes for countless individuals and makes a significant and daily impact in the lives of those around her.