TORONTO, ONTARIO – Mark Cameron, a graduate of Humber College’s Paramedic program (1989), was awarded a 2022 Premier’s Award in the Health Sciences category.
Cameron is a paramedic, teacher, and humanitarian who has devoted his 35-year career to saving lives in Canada and around the world. He is also the founder and co-president of the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization (CIMRO). The group travels the world to provide urgent medial relief to injured children and civilians in locations such as Syria, Guyana, Ukraine and more.
Among its many notable achievements, CIMRO helped to eradicate a Polio outbreak in Syria, by distributing 1.4 million vaccines to children. In 2011, while working as a paramedic in central-east Ontario, Cameron put his own life at risk by rescuing a child whose foot was trapped in farm machinery. Cameron received the Governor General’s Medal of Bravery for this selfless act.
Though his work takes him to areas of conflict, Cameron notes that “on these trips, there are no enemies, there are patients. CIMRO is about humanity for all.”
Cameron says Humber gave him the courage and preparation needed to go into war zones to provide medical care.
“Humber has one of the best paramedic programs in the world. We were trained and prepared well. For example, we were learning in the gully, deep in water and mud, all while on an incline in the freezing rain, practicing backboarding,” says Cameron. “Some of the smallest details I learned at Humber were the ones that saved my life at times, and patients’ lives, too.”
Cameron now passes on his knowledge to others as the program lead for the Pediatric Advanced Life Support Program at Sunnybrook Health Sciences in Toronto. He’s also taught for Centennial College, Humber College, and Stoney Brook University in the U.S. CIMRO’s members have taught medical education on every continent in the world except Antarctica.
“Our alumni use their career-focused education to lead when it matters most,” said Ann Marie Vaughan, president & CEO, Humber College. “Mark Cameron has touched the lives of many in our local communities and across the globe during times of crisis. Through his work and dedication to helping those most vulnerable, he has become an inspiration to our Humber community and beyond.”
The Premier’s Awards celebrate the achievements and contributions of Ontario college graduates here in the province and around the world. Humber graduates were nominated in seven categories: Creative Arts and Design, Technology, Business, Recent Graduate, Community Services, Apprenticeship, and Health Sciences. This is the sixth year in a row that a Humber College graduate has won this prestigious award.
For a list of all Humber alumni nominated for the 2022 Premier’s Award along with previous winners and nominees, visit Advancement and Alumni.
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About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Humber College is focused on our students' future. Humber provides career-focused education to more than 86,000 learners in-person at three main Toronto locations and online. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber students receive in-depth theoretical learning and hands-on experience with applied research and extensive industry connections. A comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, and certificates, prepare career-ready global citizens to move seamlessly from education to employment. More than 86 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca.
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Sylvie Lendvay
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Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
sylvie.lendvay@humber.ca | 416.729.8940