SMCS Student Receives ‘Above and Beyond’ Recognition by U of T
At St. Michael’s College School (SMCS), learning often reaches beyond the classroom. For Cruz Molina, Grade 12, that meant taking part in a design programme that challenged both his creativity and persistence—earning him some well-deserved recognition. Molina recently received the ‘Above and Beyond’ award through the Building Black Success Through Design (BBSD) programme, run by the University of Toronto. The three-month programme introduces students to architecture and creative design through a structured, hands-on process, where participants attend weekly sessions, work with mentors, and develop a final concept tied to a real community space. Students choose between an architecture or creative arts cohort depending on their interests. “It was an honour to be part of the architecture cohort and see the power space holds over the development and success of individuals,” says Molina. “Both age and ethnicity are the factors that open and close doors to education, status, and simply the skills that would allow one to reach the goals they’re aspiring to achieve.” Over the course of 12 weeks, Molina attended weekly sessions on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. Mid-week sessions featured guest speakers from across the design industry, while Saturdays were dedicated to hands-on work where he developed drawings, refined his floor plan, and built a physical model with guidance from mentors. The programme began with a visit to the Wildseed Centre, which opened in July 2021, and became the focus of each student’s final project. The space is rooted in community, activism, and Black artistic expression, and students were asked to design something that would contribute meaningfully to that environment. The new space sought to overcome discrimination and foster activism and art as means of equality. Mentees had the opportunity to be part of a positive change that followed the theme of ‘belonging’. Working in the architecture cohort, Molina was tasked with creating his
