Tomm Mandryk

Tomm Daniel Mandryk
Early Life

Thomas (Tomm) Daniel Mandryk. Born on February 15, 1992 in Hamilton Ontario. His parents, Jerry Mandryk & Michelle Mandryk both working in management at large corporations in the greater Hamilton area. Tomm currently resides in Grimsby Ontario, and attends the University of Waterloo.
Life Work

Tomm had dedicated himself at an early age of 17 to helping the impoverished nations of our world. In February 2009, Tomm travelled to Dominican Republic where he was able to see first hand the living conditions of the Dominican people. He travelled around the island in the first 7 days of his 15 days in the country, seeing a broad range of life and tradition, and most importantly what needed to be done. He then spent the remainder of his time stationed in Las Pajas where he helped out and devised projects, which he would implement later.

During the year of 2010, Tomm consulted with professional doctors, surgeons, medical advisers and more to determine a project that he could undertake that would better the people of Las Pajas. He decided, with help from his consultants, that he would run an Eye Care Clinic for 5 days. He immediately consulted Dr. Peaker (a local Optometrist, in Grimsby, Ontario) where he provided Tomm with the necessary provisions to treat various eye related disorders ranging from Glaucoma, Rapid Eye Aging, and Cataracts etc. Talking with contacts that he had made in 2009, Tomm hired a native Dominican Optometrist.

In addition to Mandryk’s Eye Care Clinic, he also partnered with the St. Joseph Healthcare Hospital in Hamilton where he would supply a hospital in Las Pajas that he also supports called Clinica Rural Las Pajas.

Mandryk then travelled to the Dominican on his own to facilitate and run his operation, spending a total of 9 days in the country, he helped his hired doctor out with examinations, processed patients, travelled back and forth from Santo Domingo to buy prescriptions for his patients that could not afford their own and many other countless tasks.

Tomm is currently working with the Dominican Canadian Community Development Group in Welland Ontario as the ‘Director of Fundraising and Promotion’.
Academic Career

Mandryk attended Ridley College Middle School in St. Catharines Ontario. Graduating in grade 8 he attended Blessed Trinity High School in Grimsby Ontario.
Currently, Tomm attends the University of Waterloo in Waterloo in Ontario for:

* Major in Honours of International Development
* Minor in Geography and Environmental Management
* Diploma in Environmental Assessment

Committee's and Boards

* Board of Governors, Dominican Canadian Community Development Group, in Welland Ontario.
* Board of Governors, St. Paul’s University College, University of Waterloo, in Waterloo Ontario.
Awards

* Tomm was nominated for the Youth Citizen of the Year Award in 2010. This prestigious award is given to a citizen who devotes themselves to their community and to the world they live in, shows enthusiasm for helping others, and demonstrates various acts of selflessness.

* Recipient of the 2010 Social Justice Award. The Social Justice Award recognizes those who devote their time and energy to the pursuit of social justice. These awards encourage youth, young adults and organizations to take action to improve their communities. The awards celebrate those who work for social change and provide services to disadvantage members of our society.

* Recipient of the 2010 Lieutenant Governors Award. The Honourable Hilary M. Weston established this award as a millennium initiative in the year 2000, to honour and encourage youth voluntarism, a rapidly rising trend in Ontario. The award is offered to an exemplary volunteer among the graduating students in an Ontario secondary school. This award is administered by the Ontario Honours & Awards Secretariat of the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration.
Accomplishments

Tomm partnered with a hospital that he dedicates his social justice and relief work towards. The hospital is located in the province of Hato Mayor in the Batey of Las Pajas, Dominican Republic.
Mandryk ran a 5-day Eye Care Clinic in Las Pajas, which treated in gross of 150 people.
Tomm has been praised for his ability to fundraise and inhale gross amounts of money in excess of $20,500.00 CAD.
Approaches to Poverty

Tomm believes that all humans are equal, and in such should be given equal rights and privileges. Tomm approaches poverty from a standpoint which dictates that money should never be directly given to the impoverished people, rather it be spent on implementations of resources and services to better those who live in poverty. Mandryk believes in empowering people to make decisions on their own and to create their own path in the world that they live in.

By providing people health-care, Mandryk believes that this is a building block for an individual’s success in life. “Without it, opportunities pass you by that you cannot grasp due to an illness of disease.” With this building block in place, an individual can obtain a job and work to generate income.

It has been said that Mandryk constantly devotes his time to finding new implementations and initiatives to better off societies of impoverished peoples. He looks to expand his horizons and move his operations to other countries, so that more people can be affected by projects such as those herein.

“Follow your dreams, there are a million opportunities in this world, and it is up to the individual to extend themselves to reach up and grab them. If you have self-determination you can be successful at anything you do. Carve your own path in this world, it is what you make of it. Today is your day, go out and change the world.” - Closing remarks from CTV Interview (Tomm Mandryk, 2010).

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