Arts is so proud to introduce our three 2025 Alumni Award winners: Avvy Yao-Yao Go (BA ’86 Economics), Susan McKenzie (BA ’96, MA ’98 English), and Eyitemi Popo (MDEI ’16). Awarded each year in all six Waterloo faculties, Alumni Awards recognize our exceptional graduates and their unique efforts to build a better world through their industries and local communities. A warm UWaterloo congratulations to the 2025 Arts recipients!
Avvy Yao-Yao Go (BA ’86) 2025 Alumni Achievement Award for Professional Achievement
Photo credit: Andrew Balfour
Madam Justice Avvy Yao-Yao Go has more than 30 years of advocacy and litigation experience in support of disadvantaged communities. She holds a BA (Economics) from the University of Waterloo, an LL.B. from University of Toronto, and an LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School. She was called to the Bar in Ontario in 1991. In 2021 Justice Go became the first Chinese Canadian to be appointed to the Federal Court. In 2022, she received a Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa degree from the Toronto Metropolitan University.
For much of her career, Justice Go worked on behalf of low-income racialized clients, including through her former role as Director of Ontario’s Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic. A first-generation Canadian of Chinese descent, Justice Go was involved in a community-led campaign to redress the Chinese Head Tax and Exclusion Act. The lawsuit and other community actions eventually propelled the Government of Canada to issue a parliamentary apology on June 22, 2006 for the 62 years of legislated racism against the Chinese Canadian community.
In recognition of her support for disadvantaged communities and contribution to the legal profession, Justice Go has received many awards, including the Order of Ontario (2014), the Senate of Canada 150 award (2017), the FACL Lawyer of Distinction Award (2012), and the Women’s Law Association of Ontario President’s Award (2002).
Congratulations, Justice Go!
Susan McKenzie (BA ’96, MA ’98) 2025 Alumni Achievement Award for Community Builder
Susan McKenzie is a communications and fundraising leader whose personal journey as a kidney transplant recipient sparked a powerful movement for patient advocacy and community building.
In 2016, after receiving a life-saving kidney from her sister-in-law, Susan co-founded the Transplant Ambassador Program (TAP), which is now a fully volunteer-led initiative with over 230 ambassadors supporting patients in 27 centres across Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
Susan is also the Founder and President of the Kidney Patient and Donor Alliance Canada, a grassroots organization dedicated to uniting and amplifying the voices of kidney patients, living kidney donors, and their families.
Through education, peer support, and advocacy, Susan empowers others to speak up and drive positive change. A published co-author on 16 peer-reviewed research papers, she collaborates on national healthcare initiatives that improve outcomes and access. Her leadership has built a compassionate, nationwide community transforming care for those affected by kidney disease.
Congratulations, Susan!
Eyitemi Popo (MDEI ’16) 2025 Rising Star Alumni Award
Eyitemi Popo is a visionary entrepreneur and Forbes-listed changemaker whose work is reshaping how women explore and experience Africa. As Founder of Girls Trip Tours and President of the Girls MAP Foundation, she has built a women-led tourism ecosystem that empowers young women through immersive travel and mentorship across Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa.
Her ventures have been featured in National Geographic, AfroTech, and Talks at Google, and recognized by Forbes for building community through travel.
A champion of ethical AI, Eyitemi led developer-focused strategy at Mozilla, where she advanced transparency and inclusion in tech. Her leadership earned her a spot among DMZ’s Women of the Year in 2022.
From mentoring startups to co-founding Africa’s first data science academy for women, Eyitemi is a rising force in global innovation. Her work exemplifies the spirit of transformation, inclusion, and impact that defines the next generation of changemakers.
Congratulations, Eyitemi!