Issue link: https://publications.tfs.ca/i/973029
Q&A with the TFS Foundation President Meet Cathy Yanosik On March 1, and with great excitement, we welcomed Cathy Yanosik to the TFS community as the newly appointed President of the TFS Foundation. Cathy leads the school's Advancement and Alumni Relations Department, and works closely with the Head of School, Foundation Board, TFS Board, senior leadership team and volunteers to advance TFS' culture of philanthropy and deliver our mission. She comes to TFS with close to 30 years of experience, including in the education and health-care sectors. We asked Cathy about her career and what she is most looking forward to at TFS. What attracted you to a career in philanthropy? I started my career in philanthropy at my alma mater, Queen's University, shortly after graduation. I was able to travel across Canada, and meet interesting and successful alumni in all walks of life who cared about giving back by helping others achieve their own academic goals. It was so inspiring. I was hooked! We bet you didn't know: Favourite neighbourhood restaurant: Indian Street Food: so creative and delicious! Favourite play (or Broadway show): Les Miserables: such powerful performances! Favourite sport: Figure skating: perfect combination of athleticism and artistry! What draws you to working in the fi eld of education, at the university level, and now at the primary and secondary levels? Playing my small part in helping young people reach their potential is incredibly rewarding. They really are our future and it's exciting to think about the impact they will have if we give them the right start. Can you tell us about one of your career highlights? A few years ago, at Pathways to Education, I had the opportunity to introduce an alumnus of our Regent Park program to one of our very generous supporters. This particular donor, who has since passed away, was someone whom I had known for many years and whom I greatly admired – a member of the Order of Canada, a former Chancellor of one of our universities, and a wonderfully generous person. The alumnus, whom I also greatly admire, was one of the early participants in the Pathways program and had grown up in very challenging circumstances. Despite this, he went on to earn a graduate degree from the University of Toronto and was at the early stages of a promising career. Introducing these two people and watching the exchange of gratitude and encouragement was defi nitely a career highlight! What are you most looking forward to in this new role? TFS is clearly poised for continued success! The Foundation, Board of Directors, Dr. González and the leadership team have articulated an inspiring vision for the future and are putting together a clear plan on how to bring it to life. Philanthropy will play an important part in this. I look forward to helping to build the culture of philanthropy at the school even further, helping to bring the vision to reality for the students. What aspect of French culture are you most excited about experiencing at TFS? I am excited to improve my French! I thank everyone for their patience in advance. 4 TFS – Canada's International School