Student honoured for volunteerism

A Western student is among seven young people honoured with the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers. The medal, presented by the Honourable James K Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, honours community volunteer work across Ontario, Canada and around the world. London resident Christina Katsios has devoted time and effort to numerous charities and non-profit organizations. Katsios travelled to Mexico where she taught CPR to orphanage staff, assisted in administering chemotherapy and helped burn victims at a public children's hospital. Katsios has also worked for Habitat for Humanity in London and in Detroit, where she worked alongside former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 2005. On the Western campus, Katsios was coordinator of the Pre-Medical Society, organized food drives and directed fundraising events for the group's volunteer efforts in other countries.

The Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers was created in 1998 to recognize and honour exceptional voluntary achievement of young people between the ages of 15 and 24. Nominees must have contributed significantly to their community, acted as role models and inspired peers.

"It is heartening to see a new generation take the reins of Ontario's strong volunteer tradition," said Mike Colle, Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration. "The young people being honoured are helping to make Ontario a more caring and prosperous place to live."