Women of Excellence inspired by those around them

Dr. Bertha Garcia was recently named a 2019 Women of Excellence award recipient from the YMCA of Southwestern Ontario. Read full article.

She joins a few outstanding Schulich Medicine & Dentistry faculty members recognized with this award in past years. View past recipients.

Recently, four of the recipients, Drs. Bertha Garcia, Cindy Hutnik, Carol Herbert and Gillian Kernghan reflected on the humbling experience receiving this award and what it meant to them.

“It was an honour to celebrate with the newest YMCA Women of Excellence recipient, Dr. Bertha Garcia, at the Talent Management Conference,” said Dr. Kernaghan. “Receiving this award is truly a humbling experience.”

Although Dr. Garcia hasn’t yet received her award, she describes the experience so far as head-spinning.

"When I was called on Boxing Day and notified that I had been selected for this terrific honour, I was literally speechless, and those who know me, know how rare an event that is,” said Dr. Garcia. “During the past few weeks, I have reflected much on what receiving this award means to me but, perhaps most importantly, what that means for my students and colleagues, who have made this possible. It has been so far a very humbling experience.” 

"When I was called on Boxing Day and notified that I had been selected for this terrific honour, I was literally speechless, and those who know me, know how rare an event that is.”

Dr. Hutnik who received the honour in 2013, also expressed how humbling and inspiring the experience was for her.

“The YMCA Women of Excellence Award gave me the opportunity to meet, understand and be inspired by extraordinary women, all of whom will be remembered for their achievements, as well as who they are as people. I feel truly blessed, honoured and deeply humbled to be among such a fine group,” she said. 

Dr. Carol Herbert, former Dean at the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, received her award in 2007. She continues to be appreciative for the honour, and acknowledges the other women in her life who made her achievements possible. 

“I deeply appreciated the recognition by the Y, for my accomplishments in British Columbia and Ontario but also acknowledged then and now the support I relied on from Lola Waite, a woman from Jamaica whose friendship and care for my children enabled my work. We do nothing meaningful without the contributions of others,” she said.

Dr. Garcia will be honoured at the YMCA Women of Excellence Gala on May 15 at the London Convention Centre. Tickets are available for purchase online. 

"I look forward to the next couple of months where I get to meet and know better other women of excellence and their nominators. A head spinning process for sure."