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TOPS Newsletter Government of Ontario Volume 8, Issue 2 | August 2015 Inside This Issue From the Editor’s Desk ............. 2 Managing Change..................... 3 Spotlight on the Secretary of the Cabinet: Steve Orsini ................ 4 Repairing the Harm in Workplace Relaonships............................ 7 Learn Something New Every Day ................................. 8 Humour in the Workplace ........ 9 Mindfulness and Meditaon .... 9 “A Day in the Job of…” ............ 11 TOPSpot QUIZ ........................ 13

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Inside This Issue

TOPS Newsletter

Government of Ontario

Volume 8, Issue 2 | August 2015

Inside This Issue

From the Editor’s Desk ............. 2

Managing Change ..................... 3

Spotlight on the Secretary of the Cabinet: Steve Orsini ................ 4

Repairing the Harm in Workplace Relationships ............................ 7

Learn Something New Every Day ................................. 8

Humour in the Workplace ........ 9

Mindfulness and Meditation .... 9

“A Day in the Job of…” ............ 11

TOPSpot QUIZ ........................ 13

2

By Samantha Glave

When we report to work, we bring our com-

plete selves. Humans are social animals

with feelings and emotions. As much as we

want to remain objective, disinterested and

in control at all times, we react to the peo-

ple and events in our working environment.

This is expected, and

there’s nothing wrong with

this. According to Clyde

DeSouza ”it’s our emotions

and imperfections that

make [] us human.”

This issue explores how to

manage our emotions, hu-

mour in the workplace,

mindfulness and medita-

tion and how to manage

change in the work-

place. In keeping with this issue’s theme of

emotions and feelings, allow me to share a

recent embarrassing moment of mine.

I am an aspiring communications profes-

sional. In an effort to practice my skills as a

journalist, I requested an in-person inter-

view with the Secretary of the Cabinet, Ste-

ve Orsini, who happily obliged. Prior to our

interview, I conducted my research and

carefully crafted my questions. I solicited

the help of my husband and mother to con-

duct mock interviews. I was practiced. I

was sophisticated. I was ready.

On the day of the interview; disaster

struck. Car troubles, you ask? Wardrobe

malfunction, you surmise? Not so. On

this day, I was struck by an affliction

that has been plaguing humankind for

millions of years. An enemy that is sud-

den in its attack, unleashing a cruel and

merciless assault on its victim. An ene-

my known by the name of — seasonal

allergies.

During the interview, I should have

been focused on the

Secretary’s answers to

my questions. I should

have asked more prob-

ing questions. Instead,

I had other con-

cerns. Let me share

with you the higher-

order thoughts that

were occupying my

mind.

“I really hope my nose

doesn’t drip onto my

dress or on the table.”

“Do I have more Kleenex in my bag?”

“Is there tissue stuck to my face? That

would be embarrassing.”

Despite my distress, I was able to ob-

tain the information I needed to write

the article. Also, Mr. Orsini was very

kind and sympathetic to my condi-

tion! You can read the article, which

explores his thoughts and feelings about

public servants, on page 4 of this issue.

From the Editor’s Desk

3

Managing Change

Change happens whether we like it or not. So,

why not embrace it? At times, change can

cause stress and the loss of control. Similarly,

it can cause excitement and the ability to

grow. Managing change and creating

improvements in the workplace is becoming

the norm in today’s work

environment. Change can

happen because new and

innovative ideas are being

brought forward, a new

technology is being

implemented or new trends in

the economy are prevailing. It

can also result from a new

requirement in the law,

budgetary issues or staffing

requirements.

Change is part of an ongoing process, and it is

sometimes easier to deal with if we

understand the underlying causes. Some key

questions to ask are:

What does the change entail?

Why is the change being made?

What is the impact of the change?

Once you have developed an understanding,

you can then consciously choose how to react.

Here are some tips for how you can deal with

change:

By Sarah Hui

Develop an awareness of change.

Change happens all the time, but

sometimes it’s not noticed or we

choose not to notice it. To help with

this process, take time for reflection or

create a journal. This will allow you to

anticipate change in the future.

Focus your thoughts and attitudes

about change. Negative thoughts

block creativity and problem-solving

ability. Positive thoughts lead to

possibilities and opportunities. Allow

change to be seen as an opportunity.

Relax. Choose a form

of relaxation that works best

for you, it can help you cope

with change.

Set smart goals to

consciously guide the

change. Write out your

goals and your plans to

meet them.

Communicate. Speak

with supportive people who can help

you deal with stress.

Once you accept that change is inevitable

and embrace it, your opportunities become

limitless.

Sarah Hui is a Senior Program Advisor in the In-

vestment Funding and Coordination Branch in

MEDEI/MRI/ENERGY. She received her Honours

B. Sc. in Economics (Quantitative Methods) at U

of T and M.A. in Economic Policy at McMaster

University and is currently pursuing her CPA

designation. She is the VP of the Rotaract Club

of Toronto.

Once you accept that

change is inevitable

and embrace it, your

opportunities become

limitless.

4

A quick internet search will

tell you that Steve Orsini is

the Secretary of the Cabinet,

Head of the Ontario Public

Service (OPS) and the Clerk of

the Executive Council. While

you can learn more about the

various roles he fills and the

numerous responsibilities that

lie with him ─ that will not re-

veal to you who he is as an

individual. How does he feel

about the work of public serv-

ants? What causes him

stress? How is he addressing

concerns regarding OPS hiring

practices? TOPSpot had the

opportunity to interview the

Secretary to discuss these

topics.

SPOTLIGHT:

Secretary of the Cabinet

Steve Orsini

On Public Servants

Secretary Orsini describes

public servants as “the un-

sung heroes of the organiza-

tion.” He has travelled

throughout the province and

seen the “professionalism,

commitment and excitement

of what people do day in and

day out.” This is not just lip

service. During our inter-

view, he told stories that for

him exemplify the dedication

and hard work of OPS em-

ployees. One account was of

a Forensic Auditor whose cu-

riosity and ingenuity resulted

in the largest out of court

settlement in Canadian histo-

ry, which involved the smug-

gling of tobacco. This individ-

ual was honoured by the

Royal Canadian Mounted Po-

lice with its highest civilian

award. What is most re-

markable about this story is

that these events occurred

some twelve years ago!

Secretary Orsini still remem-

bers this story and others

because he believes it is im-

portant that employees be

recognized for taking pride in

what they do and rising

above and beyond the call of

duty. “Sometimes we can’t

recognize them in all the

forms we want to,” he says,

“but I think we need to rec-

ognize them in all the ways

we can, because we do de-

pend on them.”

On Stress and Challenges

According to Secretary Orsi-

ni, while you may not be able

to control every situation,

you can control how you re-

act to them. In harmony with

this concept, the Secretary

explains stress as energy

that is misallocated. As he

knows that he will either ex-

pend energy worrying about

a situation or expend energy

working on a solution, he

opts for the latter, turning

trying circumstances into

challenges to be overcome.

He uses a broken photocopi-

er as a simple illustration.

“That’s a match of human

against machine!” he admits.

It’s a battle he has lost on

many occasions, and he has

had to call for reinforce-

ments! The Secretary likens

stressful situations to com-

(Continued on page 5)

By Samantha Glave

5

plex math problems. “Rather

than get frustrated because

the answer doesn’t just leap

off the page ─ you challenge

yourself to solve it.”

An ever-present concern for

the Secretary is that of

missed opportunities to

change things for the

better. “If a staff

member has an

idea, but they

can’t get some-

one to hear it,

then it’s a

missed oppor-

tunity to change

things for the bet-

ter. And that’s what

I’m worried about ─ dozens

and dozens of missed oppor-

tunities in the OPS.” To ad-

dress this concern, the OPS

has implemented several initi-

atives to help staff share their

ideas, including Program Re-

view, Renewal and Transfor-

mation (PRRT) and innovation

discussions in ministries. The

SOC also loves to hear direct-

ly from OPSers, who can en-

gage with him at the Secre-

tary of Cabinet Corner, on

LinkedIn, via email at secre-

[email protected]

or more recently on Yammer.

On OPS Recruitment

On February 26, 2014, the

OPS Diversity Office spon-

sored an event attended by

670 OPS employees. At the

event, Dr. Mahzarin Banaji of

Harvard University discussed

unconscious biases. As a re-

sult of these biases, employ-

ers may lean towards hiring

those most similar to them

without even realizing that

they are doing it, even coun-

ter to their conscious belief

that they are being unbiased

in their decision-making.

A Stanford University study

found that increasing candi-

date anonymity is successful

in increasing the representa-

tion of minority groups in the

workplace. In the interview

with Secretary Orsini, it was

suggested that candidates be

assessed more anonymously

in an effort to combat this

tendency. He responded by

discussing some practices that

he has used previously. For

example, in a number of cas-

es, candidates’ names are re-

moved from written assign-

ments, and assignments are

typed, as handwriting can

give an impression. The Sec-

retary also mentioned the val-

ue of having a diverse hiring

panel. “The more diverse the

panel, the less likely it

is that you’ll have

congruent or con-

sistent uncon-

scious bias. Eve-

ryone has un-

conscious bias

to some degree,

but at least this

way they can offset

each other.” Additional-

ly, as part of updating the HR

strategy, the OPS’s recruit-

ment practices are being re-

viewed in consultation with

employee networks, including

TOPS. It is hoped that results

will be available by this fall.

Hopefully, the reviews will be

the impetus for increasing

candidate anonymity in OPS

competitions. For example,

some OPS employees have

suggested that candidates

could apply to competitions

using only their WIN number

(Continued from page 4)

(Continued on page 6)

“If a staff member has an idea, but they can’t get someone to hear it, then it’s a missed opportunity to change things for the better. And that’s what I’m worried about ─ dozens and dozens of missed opportunities in the OPS.”

-Steve Orsini, Secretary of the Cabinet

6

and those assessing applica-

tions would not have the abil-

ity to link the numbers to cor-

responding names or address-

es. Interviews could be con-

ducted via online chat, making

in-person interviews less sub-

jective. Although the changes

to OPS recruitment practices

that arise from the reviews

may not be this radical,

OPSers should feel confident

that positive and meaning-

ful change is underway, as

Secretary Orsini is commit-

ted to following best prac-

tices in the area of work-

place diversity.

Who is Steve Orsini?

Steve Orsini values the hard

work of public servants. He

still remembers some of the

most memorable examples of

employee dedication he’s seen

over the years — like the ana-

lyst who showed up at budget

lockup in the same clothes he

had worn the previous day be-

cause he had worked through-

out the night to provide mate-

rials for senior officials in time

for the announcement of the

budget. Or the woman who

worked until 1:30 a.m. Sun-

day morning – Mother’s Day

– to complete work on the

sales tax transition rules that

were due that coming Mon-

day. He is working to ensure

that members of the public

service are engaged, feel val-

ued and are equipped with the

supports and tools they re-

quire to do their jobs.

Steve Orsini is someone who

likes a challenge. His most ful-

filling accomplishment was

overseeing the development

of the government’s plan to

harmonize the Retail Sales

Tax with the federal Goods

and Services Tax. Why? Be-

cause no one thought that it

could be done. He doesn't

take credit for this success

alone, though, and during this

interview mentioned the ef-

forts of people at all levels of

the organization who collabo-

rated to accomplish such a

feat. Inspired by working with

others, he described the con-

tagious “synergy” in a room

when working on a team and

shared one of his favourite

sayings: “No one is smarter

than all of us.” This penchant

for teamwork may stem from

the fact that he is number

seven of eleven children!

Steve Orsini is committed to

the vision of a fully inclusive

and engaged organization,

one that enables all of its em-

ployees to reach their full po-

tential. To this end, he

has created an external

advisory group comprised

of diversity consultants

from major corporations,

including the Chief Diver-

sity Officer for Deloitte, to

ensure that the OPS is follow-

ing best practices in this area.

He firmly believes that OPS

employees are the province’s

“major asset.”

For many OPS employees,

senior officials are simply

names occupying spaces on

organizational charts. Many

OPS employees feel far re-

moved from senior officials.

It is refreshing to learn more

about the person behind the

title. TOPSpot extends its

thanks to Secretary Orsini for

sharing his thoughts, feelings

and experiences with us.

(Continued from page 5)

7

By Renu Chandna

We spend about one-third of each day at our work-

place. When we make friends and develop positive re-

lationships, the workplace can be a positive and fun

environment, but lacking these,

it can be a hostile and lonely

place. Emotions play a great

role in our productivity, and

studies show that workplace

relationships directly affect our

ability to succeed.

Be it with a co-worker, a man-

ager or a client, a bad work re-

lationship can be a source of

significant stress and aggrava-

tion. So, how do you fix a work-

ing relationship that is headed

down the wrong path?

As with any relationship, you

must first recognize the prob-

lem and acknowledge your role

in it. Try to address any issues directly with the other

person and communicate your interest in repairing the

relationship. Make a conscious effort to shift how you

act towards that person.

Here are some tips to help you do that:

Pay attention to your emotions and how they

influence you. Try to recognize your triggers for

negative emotions and behaviour and make

a concentrated effort to avoid them.

Give up being right. Be less defensive and

decide how you will respond to a conflict

situation.

Do not to reply to contentious emails right

away. Take some time to think about what

you want to accomplish in the situation, and

put your emotions aside so you can write a

level-headed response.

Listen with an open mind. Do not only listen

for what you want the

other person to say or

for information that will

justify your viewpoint.

Look forward, not

backwards. Do not spend

time analyzing what

went wrong and who

said what, but focus on

what worked well and

what you need to do to

re-establish trust.

The bottom line is this:

conflict is a part of life.

Relationships can be

strained or broken for any number of reasons, of-

ten unintentionally. Repairing an unhealthy rela-

tionship requires patience, persistence and sincer-

ity. Remember, relationships involve two people.

Rebuilding a relationship depends on the recep-

tivity, maturity and willingness of both parties to

work things out.

Repairing the Harm in Workplace Relationships

“Never decide that the

relationship has no chance to

heal or get better. Choosing that

option decreases all

opportunities for improvement

or help.”

Dr. Erick Lauber, speaker,

author and personal

development specialist

8

8

Learn Something New Every Day

By Victoria Barahona

There’s no denying the perks of laughter in

our lives. It can dramatically improve our

workplace, our health and our relationships.

On that note, here are some fun facts about

the effect of humour on our lives!

Did you know that…?

Jokes lead to increased productivity!

Many people worry that office

humour and socializing can be

distracting and negatively

impact productivity. Au

contraire! Studies have

shown that humour in the

workplace does not de-

tract from productivity

nor does it impede the

ability to complete con-

centration—intensive

tasks.

Did you know that…?

Laughter reduces sick days!

Laughing can lower levels of stress

hormones, and it has been shown to help

boost your immune system by enhancing

antibodies and increasing immune cell

count.

Did you know that…?

When it comes to laughing, kids have us

beat! On average, six-year-olds laugh at

least 300 times a day, by contrast, adults

only laugh 15 to 100 times a day. That’s

saying a lot.

Did you know that…?

Humour is more highly prized than in-

come! A study of over 2,500 people

found that 55% of workers would take

less pay to have more fun at work.

Did you know that…?

Laughter reduces burnout and

turnover! Better health, in-

creased productivity and

now this?! Studies have

shown that humor in the

workplace enhances a

person’s coping mecha-

nisms and reduces with-

drawal and burnout.

Did you know

that…?

Laughter leads to better lead-

ership! Studies have shown that

managers who integrate humor as part

of their management style not only fos-

ter greater work performance, satisfac-

tion and cohesion amongst workers, but

they are also perceived as better lead-

ers.

Victoria Barahona is a Digital Project Coordi-

nator in the Marketing and Digital Strategy

Unit of Cabinet Office. Originally from British

Columbia, she now happily calls Toronto her

home and takes time when she can to write

fiction. Victoria can be reached by email or

on LinkedIn.

9

By Harneeta Bhalla

A disaster of devastating proportions hit my

workplace some time ago— the printer

stopped working. For the next week or so,

all anyone could do was complain about the

broken machine and the horrible impact it

was having on all of our lives. Then, just

when times seemed increasingly bleak and

printing materials for a meeting entailed

running between two floors, someone put

up a poster next to the broken printer. It

was an image of a Disney princess with the

following caption: “One day my Print will

come.” For the next day or so, no one

complained about the printer. Instead,

everyone was sharing a laugh over the sign.

Soon after, the printer was fixed. By

popular demand, the poster stayed up, and

folks continued sharing laughs every time

they saw it.

Michael Kerr, author of The Humor

Advantage: Why Some Businesses are

Laughing all the Way to the Bank, observes

that “In workplaces that encourage people

to be themselves— that are less hierarchical

and more innovative— people tend to be

more open with their humor.” I am sure

most of us can relate to that and have

observed it at our respective workplaces. As

someone who frequently facilitates

meetings, I have often found that infusing

the conversations with a bit of lighthearted

humor often diffuses the formal nature of

the setting and encourages everyone to be

more interactive.

Another personal observation I have had

about humor in the workplace, especially

one as diverse as ours, is that laughter is

universal. Working in a multicultural team,

I often find that light-hearted humor

garners a few good laughs and helps us

view each other in terms of our similarities.

Humour can be an effective tool in the

workplace. An excellent example is

President Barack Obama’s recent speech at

the 2015 White House Correspondent’s

Dinner.

Laugh away!

By Zara Rasquinha

In our fast-paced world that has become

increasingly technology-centered, workers

are faced with an unparalleled amount of

distraction while trying to accomplish daily

tasks. Managers and employees alike face

(Continued on page 10)

Humour in the

Workplace

Mindfulness and Meditation

10

continuous change and challenges at work

with little time to step back and observe

their feelings and thought patterns.

Practicing meditation and being mindful

encourages openness to our true emotions

and sensations without triggering an

emotional reaction.

Mindfulness encompasses two aspects:

awareness of the present moment and non-

judgemental acceptance of feelings and

emotions. Every worker experiences a

myriad of emotions such as

being stressed about

deadlines, anxious about an

upcoming interview or feeling

discouraged after a team

meeting. Mindfulness forces us

to reflect on and acknowledge

our feelings rather than ignore

or react to them. In the

process, we gain control over

our state of mind and

ultimately achieve emotional

stability and clarity.

Scientific research has proven that taking

just five minutes to meditate during the

workday helps reduce our mental

restlessness and increases our

concentration and

productivity. It

enables us to let

go of past

mistakes and

future projects,

forgive ourselves

(Continued from page 9) and others and concentrate on the present

moment.

Corporations such as the OPS realize the

power of meditation practices. Wellness

programs have been designed to promote

a holistic lifestyle and a healthy workplace.

Many workplaces are equipped with “quiet”

rooms, giving employees a space to

meditate. Meditation can be practiced

using multiple mediums including yoga,

music and prayer. Try to find a style that

works for you and which makes you feel

great.

Mindful living is a worthwhile lifestyle

choice that takes time

and diligence. Emotions

sometimes get the better

of us, but they don’t have

to. Deeper understanding

of our emotions gives us

a renewed sense of well-

being: mentally,

physically and spiritually.

We are more likely to be

grateful for what we have

and to treat our co-workers with kindness

and compassion as we empower ourselves

and live life to the fullest.

As Jon Kabat-Zinn, creator of the

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

(MBSR) program said, “Mindfulness is

about being fully awake in our lives. It is

about perceiving the exquisite vividness of

each moment. We also gain immediate

access to our own powerful inner resources

for insight, transformation, and healing.”

Mindfulness forces us to

reflect on and acknowledge

our feelings rather than

ignore or react to them.

Zara Rasquinha is a Business Analyst in the

BPS Supply Chain Programs Branch at

Supply Chain Ontario.

11

“A Day In the Job Of…”

Ilan Muskat

Web Editor

Every day, millions of people and millions

of dollars’ worth of goods move safely,

efficiently and sustainably across Ontario

via highways, on transit, boats or bikes.

They use public infrastructure overseen

by the Ministry of Transportation (MTO).

The communications branch of MTO is pri-

marily responsible for providing individu-

als with the up-to-date information that

they need to make sure their plans for

commuting are effective. This includes

keeping the ministry’s website current

with all relevant information, and this is

what the Web Editor does. This is my job

and here is what I do on any given day.

First things first, it’s 7 a.m — time to fire

up my blackberry! I may need to know

of a critical piece of information, even

before I hit the road! Then, travelling by

local transit, I head to the Editorial and

Corporate Services Unit where my com-

puter sits connected (through the OPS’

firewalls) to MTO’s web servers.

To get over those little speed bumps

that may come our way, I take a mo-

ment to contemplate what Simon Sinek

recommends us to ask ourselves in his

book Start With Why, “Why did we start

doing what we’re doing in the first place,

and what can we do to bring our cause

to life?”

I aim to ensure that every little task I do

will make a positive difference to the

people of Ontario. I pull up the current

list of priorities which includes some day

-to-day work, long and short-term pro-

jects and goals for our team.

(Continued on page 12)

By Ilan Muskat

12

If there aren’t any immediate meetings, I

check the shared Web Editor mailbox. Our

small and mighty team of two web editors and

a manager is authorized to respond to web

requests. As the acting Web Team Lead, I

check and prioritize any new requests for

changes to our website. Some are likely to be

urgent and unplanned. I flag these for imme-

diate action and assign the rest to my team

members with specified due dates and times.

I update the unit’s shared

project list with the re-

quests. This helps the

team keep track of all cli-

ent requests directed to

MTO Communications and

ensures that every re-

questor gets a response to

their estimate or query.

Our web team is dynami-

cally supported by three

students through the sum-

mer internship program. This program pro-

vides opportunity for student involvement

with the Ontario Public Service. I usually as-

sign students to long-term projects so they

can excitedly apply their learning and training

to tangible workplace tasks, while the web

team focuses on short-term projects. Their

internship can potentially lead them to future

roles with the web team. Mentoring and guid-

ing them to perform and deliver is a very re-

warding experience for me.

After a short lunch break, I get busy review-

ing the statuses of assigned tasks. I review

changes and upload them to the testing web

site for our clients in the MTO program areas

to view and to provide feedback. Once clients

review and approve the updates, I update the

project list and push the changes to the MTO’s

public site. Voila! The MTO website is now

current — ready with relevant and accurate

information for all Ontarians.

I strongly believe in networking and make it a

point to meet up for coffee with former col-

leagues once every two weeks. We use this

opportunity to catch up with professional up-

dates at either end, learn and grow and offer

professional guidance

and advice (as need-

ed.) This helps me stay

in touch with friends

and build professional

and personal relation-

ships.

By now, you may have

noticed a pattern in my

behaviour. All my ac-

tions are aimed to

serve through commu-

nication — from Ministry to the public, from

my unit to our clients, amongst members of

my team or across my network. This is my

“Why.” In my job, at the end of the day, I feel

satisfied that I’ve done my part to connect

people, both inside and outside the Public

Service!

My job allows me to help keep people and

goods moving. I help provide the information

they need to commute safely, efficiently, sus-

tainably and effectively across Ontario. I

serve the public with pride and passion every

day.

(Continued from page 11)

The winner of the previous TOPSpot quiz is Katherine Jin at MOECC

Congratulations!

TOPSpot Quiz

13

Most employees spend approximately 40 hours working each week; this equates to half

of our waking life! It is no surprise that our work environment has a powerful influence

on our emotions and feelings, affecting how we communicate, perform and relate.

Complete the quiz to enter your name in the draw to win a $5 coffee card!

E-mail your answers to [email protected] before September 4, 2015

By Bella Desa

1 Sadness, fear and boredom are examples of:

a) Positive emotions b) Negative emotions c) Attitude

d) Behavioural inten tions e) Values

2 Which of these represents beliefs and feelings and is typically reflect-

ed in behaviour?

a) Attitudes b) Values c) Personality d) Moods e) Perception

3 When interacting with co-workers, customers or suppliers or others,

employees are expected to abide by:

a) Display rules b) Their expected level of job satisfaction c) Their true emo-

tions d) Their moral intensity e) Their level of emotional dissonance

4 The ability to monitor one’s own and others’ feelings and emotions

and to use this information to guide one’s thinking and actions is

referred to as:

a) Emotional intelligence b) Value alignment c) Individualism d) Collectivism

TOPS Profile Tomorrow's Ontario Public Service (TOPS) was created in 2004 by professionals from across the Ontario Pub-lic Service, with the aim of providing networking, mentoring and learning opportunities. It has over 4,500 members from across the province—and is growing every day. TOPS is led by an Executive Team composed of volunteers from several ministries. Eleven of these members are on the Provincial Executive and about a hun-dred volunteers are active at any given time across the province. Its mission is to foster an inclusive culture of engagement, learning, leadership and professional development in the OPS.

Lead Editor: Samantha Glave

Design and Layout: Samantha Glave

Lavenya Rajendra

Writers:

Editors:

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All other images courtesy of the writer or are part of the public domain

TOPSpot is brought to you by the TOPS Communications and Marketing Committee.

Cover Image: Mr. Lightman at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image ID: 10084289; pg. 2 Microsoft Office Clip

Art; pg.4 Zara Rasquinha, Ministry of Government and Consumer Services; pg. 6 Zara Rasquinha,

Ministry of Government and Consumer Services; pg. 8 vorakorn at FreeDigitalPhotos.net age ID:

100145480; pg. 10 Praisaeng at FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image ID: 100199073; pg. 11 Ilan Muskat,

Ministry of Transportation; pg. 12 Microsoft Office Clip Art; pg. 13 Stuart Miles at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Renu Chandna

Sarah Hui

Harneeta Bhalla

Zara Rasquinha

Ilan Muskat

Bella Desa

Victoria Barahona

Joanna Sharp

Valerie Menezes

May Yuen

Sudha Sridhar

Liam MacManus

Lavenya Rajendra