Victoria University’s Gold and Silver Medalists

^{Photo by Neil Gaikwad}

By Samantha Chater 

Just like elite athletes at the Olympic Games, Victoria University graduates have trained with passion, persevered through challenges and crossed the finish line with excellence. 

This year, 12 of the top students in the graduating class were awarded gold and silver medals in recognition of their academic excellence. The medals, cast by the Royal Canadian Mint, are gold and silver-plated. All but the newest medal, the Moriyama Gold Medal, feature designs created in 1993 by Professor David Blostein, an English and drama professor who was also a portrait artist. All are inscribed with the student’s name. 

Many of the medals are named in honour of notable figures in Vic U history, including former chancellor Northrop Frye Vic 3T3 and John James Maclaren, Victoria College 1862 graduate and judge of the Supreme Court of Judicature for Ontario. The medals are made possible by generous donors, many of them Vic alumni. 

Here is the full list of Victoria College Class of 2025 medal recipients: 

• The George Williams Brown Gold Medal: Shane Joy 
• The Maclaren Gold Medal: Elisa Francesca Vano 
• The Moriyama Gold Medal: Yuntong Jia 
• The William Ewart Staples Gold Medal: Jude Konyar 
• The Wilson Gold Medal: Abdullah Zafar 
• The Kendrick Gold Medal: Suet Luk 
• The Adams Gold Medal: Aman Aaryaman Aggarwal 
• The Rundle Gold Medal: Jan-Niklas Nagel 
• The Prince of Wales Gold Medal: Christopher Chang 
• The Prince of Wales Silver Medal: Zeeniya Waseem 
• The Prince Philip Gold Medal: Adin Aggarwal 
• The Chancellor Northrop Frye Gold Medal: Michael Cheng