Each February, Canadians come together to celebrate Black History Month – a time to recognize the profound contributions, achievements, resilience, and victories of Black communities across the country.
At Yorkville University, celebrating the exceptional accomplishments of our Black students and alumni is an ongoing commitment reflected in the individual stories featured on our Yorkville News Page throughout the year.
This year’s Black History Month theme, Honouring Black Brilliance Across Generations – From Nation Builders to Tomorrow’s Visionaries, inspires us to revisit and amplify these remarkable success stories, recognizing both the foundations laid by trailblazers and the innovations of those carrying the torch forward.
BID Grad Stacy-Ann Matthews’ ‘The Collective Sample X Sneaker Hub’ Bridges Culture, Commerce, and Connection
For Bachelor of Interior Design graduate Stacy-Ann Matthews, sneaker culture is more than a fashion statement – it’s a global community and a movement rich in history, creativity, and cultural influence.
That’s why, when it came to deciding on her Yorkville University thesis project, Matthews chose to reimagine what it means to experience that culture in a physical space – The Collective Sample X Sneaker Hub.
Located conceptually in Toronto’s fashion district at 462 Wellington St. W., the Sneaker Hub offers a dynamic environment where visitors can explore sneaker culture’s commercial, cultural, and educational dimensions in a space that celebrates the social, political, and environmental layers of sneaker design while also fostering inclusivity and dialogue.
“Sneaker culture has become increasingly involved in social initiatives and environmental practices,” Matthews explained. “But there hasn’t been a permanent physical space to connect those critical aspects with the consumer experience. The Hub creates that space – a place for community, education, and meaningful interaction.”
Learn more about Matthews’ Sneaker Hub HERE!
One Brick at a Time | Chukwudi Nwokike’s BBA Story
By the time most people were winding down their day, Chukwudi Nwokike was just getting started on his second shift.
From 9:00 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., six days a week, for nearly two years, Nwokikewas studying towards his Bachelor of Business Administration online from his home in Lagos, Nigeria. He would finish a full day of work, rest for a few hours, then log into his courses, keeping pace with his Yorkville University classmates in time zones a world away.
At the time, Nwokike was working full-time as Chief Marketing Officer at Axon Analytics. He had reached a point in his career where technical expertise wasn’t enough. Leadership demands fluency in more than just marketing – it means understanding operations, accounting, and human resources.
When a promotion to General Manager didn’t come through, he took it as a sign and enrolled at Yorkville University, drawn to its flexibility and focus on applied learning.
“I wanted something that was entirely online,” Nwokike said. “And I didn’t just want a degree, I wanted to actually learn. When I looked at Yorkville, it felt like I would.”
Read more about Nwokike’s Yorkville journey HERE!
Hetti-Marie Manu Chosen as MED Student Graduation Speaker at 2025 Convocation
“There is a strength within you that only the challenges of life can unlock.”
That was the crux of Hetti-Marie Manu’s message to her fellow Master of Education in Educational Leadership grads when she took to the convocation stage in Fredericton this past June – words of truth she learned not just from her own personal experience, but from those of her immigrant parents, as well.
“It’s the same message my mother discovered when she left the warm sun of Antigua at 21 to move to Saskatoon in February and quickly realized she probably should’ve packed a coat. It’s the same message my father discovered when he left Ghana to come to Toronto not knowing not a soul, so he grabbed the phone book, found someone with a familiar last name, who spoke his language and who took him around the city,” she said.
“Two explorers. Two leaders. Two people who didn’t know that their stories of unlocking inner fortitude would be the blueprint for their children, their grandchildren and generations yet to come.”
From her parents’ inspiring stories, Manu took away the conviction she could accomplish anything she set her mind to. From becoming a teacher, to getting married, to releasing an album and moving to Nashville, to pausing her music career to raise three beautiful children, to going through a divorce, to eventually returning to Toronto to rebuild her life as a single parent – Manu encountered several barriers in her journey to becoming Yorkville’s MED Student Graduation Speaker, but overcame them all.
Learn more about Manu’s story HERE!
