Simon Kuany (MinE 1T0 + PEY), one of the so-called ‘Lost Boys of Sudan,’ was profiled in a recent Toronto Star article for graduating from the Lassonde Mineral Engineering program. The “Lost Boys of Sudan” is a group of more than 20,000 boys who fled Sudan’s civil war in the 1980s.

Simon’s accomplishment was all the more incredible considering the struggles he has overcome to succeed.

At the age of five, Simon fled his village and travelled barefoot for four months through a war zone to reach safety. He hid in bushes and even stepped over dead bodies throughout his harrowing journey that eventually led him to a Kenyan refugee camp where he lived for 16 years.

A network of university students on campuses across the country would later help support his move to Canada to fulfill his educational ambitions at U of T Engineering.

Read the full article in the Toronto Star of Simon Kuany on his graduation day.