A&S student Fiona Wan made a lasting impact on a vital Toronto community organization, empowered by the Paul Cadario Social Impact Internship Award. The award supports paid internships with non-profit and community organizations, fostering positive social change while giving students real-world experience.
“There are so many great scholarships at U of T, but this one is special,” says Wan, the award’s first-ever winner, a fourth-year economics and ethics, society and law student, and a member of Trinity College.
For 12 weeks, Wan leveraged the skills and knowledge she gained at U of T to help at The Stop Community Food Centre — a thriving community hub that started as a food bank in the 1980s and has since expanded to provide healthy food, nurture social connections and promote civic engagement. As a data visualization and dashboard development intern, Wan built interactive dashboards to help staff track key metrics including meals served, attendance and demographics.
“From day one, Fiona was building relationships. She understood that the data work was really about the people behind it,” says Jasmine Ferreira, PhD and director of programs and evaluation at The Stop. “Amazing things happen when students like her get involved.”
Wan’s co-op work term ended in December, but her impact lives on. Staff rely on Wan’s dashboards to present data to key stakeholders and apply for grants, ensuring The Stop can maximize community reach.
“Awards like this open doors for students who want to lift the nonprofit sector,” says Wan. “Those doors wouldn’t exist without donor support.”
It’s precisely the impact that alum Paul Cadario envisioned when he founded the Paul Cadario Social Impact Internship Awards and the Paul Cadario Experiential Learning Student Awards, held by both A&S and the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering.
“Organizations like The Stop will benefit the most from A&S students’ enthusiasm and eagerness to learn and grow,” says Cadario. Since graduating from U of T in 1973, he has transformed thousands of students’ lives, contributing to scholarships, classrooms and lab space.
Wan applied for the award through the Arts & Science Internship Program (ASIP), where previous work terms gave her experience in journalism and private sector consulting. She was in China visiting family when she interviewed for the position over video call. The next morning, still composing a thank-you email to her interviewer, she watched an offer arrive in her inbox.
“I felt like it was meant to be,” says Wan, who will take the experience with her to graduate school in Hong Kong this September.
“Learning outside the classroom taught me how to lead, communicate and collaborate. My advice for other students: make the most of every opportunity and you’ll come away with something rewarding.”
Read more on the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering website about how Paul Cadario’s gift is strengthening experiential learning across the faculty — supporting students as they translate technical knowledge into practical solutions that advance sustainability, infrastructure and innovation.