A sense of profound joy and happiness infused the UTS Alumni Association’s Annual Alumni Reunion, which took place on Saturday at UTS and the University of Toronto Faculty Club. Whether it’s been a few years or a few decades, UTS alumni are so genuinely happy to see each other that their exuberance lights up the room. Over 200 alumni attended the event and some went to great lengths to be there: travelling from across the country (even from the Northwest Territories), the U.S. and from as far away as Belgium and Singapore.

When this many UTS alumni gather together, we see how extraordinary and far-reaching our community is. Alumni of all ages attended, from the Class of 1958 to 2019. Among the ranks were professors, a former ambassador, leading entrepreneurs, a U.S. university dean, neurologists, bank vice presidents, authors, law firm partners and much more. Our alumni are leaders in our society, making a difference in the lives of others and even the world.

The occasion shared many inspiring UTS moments with guests, from student musical performances by Smoke Signals and Taiko drumming to our student co-captains Ethan and Ivan sharing what UTS life is like today, to tours of our school led by Student Outreach Coordinators and Student Ambassador Council members. The event forged invaluable connections between alumni and the current student community.

Presentations in the Withrow Auditorium included a scintillating fireside chat, led by S6 Silver and S5 Yeab students, with Graham Yost ’76, a double Emmy-Award winning screenwriter, film and television producer. Graham first broke out with the movie Speed and has been involved with many notable productions, including executive producer on Slow Horses and Silo on Apple TV+. If his name sounds familiar, his father was Elwy Yost, the beloved host of TVO’s Saturday Night at the Movies for decades.

Another illustrious alumnus featured at the event was Tim Evans ’78, who received the school’s H.J. Crawford Award, for his volunteer work to advance UTS and his extraordinary lifetime achievements in public health that enrich our broader society. His long list of contributions includes serving as assistant director general at the World Health Organization in Geneva, leading Canada through the Covid-19 crisis and much more. Currently Tim is Concordia University’s vice president of research, innovation and impact. For him, UTS is truly a family affair: his father Dr. John R. Evans, C.C., OOnt ’46, P '75, '78, a cardiologist, civic leader and former U of T president, was the first-ever H.J. Crawford Award recipient.

The inaugural Girls in Tech (GITCon) planning team from 2018, led by Jenny Pitt-Lainsbury, retiring vice principal of academic operations, was inducted into the UTS Hall of Fame for launching the Girls in Tech Conference at UTS, an annual event that brings together more than 100 grade 6 to 8 girls across the Greater Toronto Area to explore their options in technology.

The reunion served as a happy reminder that UTS alumni are not only impressive people, but incredibly good company. There’s something about UTS that brings people together, and brings out the best in each other. These enduring lifelong connections are a testament to the strength of our community. No matter where life takes our graduates, their shared memories, values and spirit of UTS unites us across generations.