Cecily Zeppetella (BA ’24) and Rexella Dwomoh (BSc ’17, MADS ’24) received a special nod during their milestone moment crossing the stage on Tuesday, June 11.

As part of Brock’s 115th Convocation celebrations, the Faculty of Social Sciences graduates were each honoured with the Board of Trustees Spirit of Brock medal for their leadership, innovation and community involvement.

Dwomoh, who worked full time in the developmental disability and mental health sector as a Master of Applied Disability Studies student, says she uses intersectional lenses to “promote human rights and access for those with diverse identities” in her professional roles, research and student leadership.

For her graduate research, Dwomoh examined barriers to accessibility for Black learners with intellectual disabilities. She also assisted with research in Brock’s Mullins Lab on equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in applied behaviour analysis (ABA) and presented findings at ABA International.

“As EDI is gaining attention, it is crucial to take a closer look at who is still underrepresented in research, because we cannot say we’re being truly equitable and inclusive if we leave out important, diverse identities,” says Dwomoh. “It is critical that we are being as comprehensive as possible, especially when research is presented to thousands of people who can then go back into their communities and make change happen.”

While completing an internship with the Canada Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Research Network, Dwomoh attracted the attention of policy-makers with her peer-reviewed report on systemic inequities for persons with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) with diverse gender and sexual orientations.

At 28, Dwomoh is currently the youngest board member at Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Consultation Education and Training Services.

She served as Social Science Representative on the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) Board of Directors and ultimately received the GSA President’s Award for her engagement of part-time and distance learners and her extensive work supporting equity-seeking groups.

Dwomoh, who also received the President’s Surgite Award, now plans to get more involved in developing social policy.

“I want to continue to use a critical and intersectional lens to address gaps in service delivery,” she says. “This is achieved by ensuring the needs of those with diverse identities are represented through culturally and contextually sensitized policies and programs.”

Through her volunteering and entrepreneurship, Media and Communications major Zeppetella found ways to support fellow students, community members in need and labourers during her four years at Brock.

Zeppetella, who had previously completed her law clerk certificate, was keen to take part in the Law Plus program when she first came to Brock. The aspiring lawyer went on to mentor Law Plus peers each year while also working for a law firm.

During her second year, Zeppetella joined Brock’s Student Conduct Council, supporting adjudications of her colleagues with empathy and fair-mindedness.

“I like being able to take policies or rules and apply them in different contexts,” she says. “I was able to analyze the cases, apply the code and then really communicate with the people who would come in looking for a solution in a positive and restorative way.”

Zeppetella is also passionate about confronting social issues. She spent two years serving as the Vice-President of both Government Policy and Education at Uplift Ontario, a student group advocating for innovative policy changes around homelessness, and created Upcycle for Change, an award-winning non-profit coaching student volunteers to repair and refresh furniture for donation to support local families in need.

Even as a busy student and volunteer, Zeppetella played a key role in Zeppsgear, a family business focused on improving safety gear for labourers who work at heights.

After landing investors for the company on CBC’s Dragons’ Den last fall, she became part of Brock’s LINCubator.

“I met a lot of great mentors, learned a lot about sales, marketing and operations, and now we are partnered with CiviConnect. It has been great to find that Brock has these resources to give more support to students trying to grow a business,” says Zeppetella, who begins her studies at Western Law in September.

Dean Ingrid Makus says the level of commitment to effecting important changes in social policies shown by both Dwomoh and Zeppetella is truly exemplary.

“Both Rexella and Cecily have honed a crucial ability to not only spot but also shine a light on people, issues and context that are missing from key conversations,” says Makus. “Their impact is strongly felt within and beyond the Brock community.”