SLP Student Leader Mahnoor Khurram Recognized with UTSLA Award

Second year student Mahnoor Khurram

By: Jessica Boafo

Congratulations to second‑year student Mahnoor Khurram, who has been named a recipient of the University of Toronto Student Leadership Award (UTSLA) in recognition of her leadership and service within the SLP student community.

The award recognizes Khurram’s contributions as Co‑President of the U of T SLP Student Council, where she has supported student advocacy, strengthened peer connection, and helped build a collaborative and supportive learning environment. Balancing the responsibilities of graduate training with leadership, she has served as a central point of contact for her cohort, supporting communication, coordination, and student‑led initiatives.

In this role, Khurram has also led SLP program tours and participated in panel discussions, answering questions from prospective students and offering insight into the academic and clinical training experience.

Khurram stepped into the Co‑President role early in her graduate training, balancing the responsibilities of student leadership alongside academic coursework, clinical preparation, and personal commitments. Her decision to pursue the role reflected a strong commitment to representing her peers and strengthening the student experience within a rigorous professional program.

Reflecting on that choice, she notes, “I wasn’t sure whether I’d be the right fit — did I have the capacity to represent my classmates on top of a graduate workload, part‑time work, and personal commitments?”

Throughout her term, Khurram has served as a key liaison between students and program leadership, coordinating events and helping to ensure that student voices are heard. She has consistently represented her peers in the classroom by serving as a key contact point between faculty and students, advocating for accommodations, helping clarify expectations, and supporting academic fairness.

Her work has contributed to a strong sense of connection within the SLP cohort, reinforcing the department’s emphasis on collaboration, wellness, and mutual respect as foundational elements of professional training. Khurram has also engaged in regular, monthly meetings with the program’s faculty chair, helping to foster open dialogue and provide ongoing feedback on ways to strengthen both the program and the overall student experience.

Faculty and staff recognize the impact of student leaders like Khurram in shaping program culture. Her approach to leadership, grounded in relationship‑building, accessibility, and service, reflects the values the SLP department seeks to foster among future clinicians. By remaining closely connected to her classmates through ongoing communication and engagement, she has helped create a learning environment where students feel supported both academically and personally.

Khurram describes the role as an opportunity to lead through service and connection, sharing that, “This role marries what I love most — focusing my sense of leadership in a space where it can serve others, while becoming closer to my classmates with every interaction, event, and initiative.”

Her UTSLA recognition highlights the vital role student leadership plays in strengthening the SLP community and enhancing the graduate student experience. The SLP department congratulates Mahnoor Khurram on this achievement and thanks her for her dedication to supporting her peers and contributing positively to the program.