“A staff member came in and had just made a couple of comments about the food bank. In particular, a bunch of expired food had come in. That sent me signals. Why is that even allowed?”
Teresa Silva-Byers
Growth and leadership are sometimes shaped through moments of discomfort. Barriers stand in the way and choices must be made.
IGNITE and University of Guelph-Humber graduate Teresa Silva-Byers has never been afraid of rolling up her sleeves and getting the work done. Still, big screens and public stages weren’t something she looked for and were far from her comfort zone. But when the opportunity to champion an issue she cared about arose, Teresa chose impact over hesitation.
More than a decade ago, Teresa decided she could manage the screen and stage for a moment if it meant doing meaningful work for students.
Our alumni profile series looks back at IGNITE graduates who have shaped the history of this organization. Teresa’s work around food security shaped our history and continues to benefit students today.
Before the spotlight
In high school, Teresa was heavily involved in student leadership and events, and she knew she wanted to keep building those skills in post-secondary education. The UofGH checked all the boxes, and Teresa began the communication and media studies program in 2009.
Teresa said that although her program was valuable, it was her involvement with IGNITE, Humber Students’ Federation (HSF) at the time, that truly shaped her student experience and made her time at UofGH meaningful.
“The relationships I built, friendships I still have in my life today, I’m really lucky and feel very fortunate that I was able to build that there and still carry with me all these years later,” Silva-Byers said.
She first joined HSF in her second year, working in the events department. The job quickly opened unexpected doors. Teresa connected with classmates she hadn’t met in lectures, building friendships through shared work rather than shared classes.
The following year, she was promoted to events lead, taking on more responsibility while still staying grounded in hands-on work. It was a leadership and supportive role, and away from the spotlight. At the time, she was exactly where she wanted to be.
When the election season arrived, full-time HSF staff encouraged Teresa to run for the Vice President of Student Services position, which is similar to the Student Advocate role today.
But the idea of becoming a public-facing leader who needs to be on big screens and stages didn’t appeal to her at all. Until one conversation changed everything.
“A staff member came in and had just made a couple of comments about the food bank [HSF had a foodbank in partnership with the North York Harvest Food Bank and Humber Polytechnic’s Longo Faculty of Business],” Silva-Byers said.
“In particular, a bunch of expired food had come in. That sent me signals. Why is that even allowed?”
That was the moment Teresa realized she could manage the stage and the visibility if it meant doing meaningful work for food security.
According to the Daily Bread Food Bank, an organization focused on eliminating food insecurity and advocating for solutions to end poverty, 10 million Canadians lived in food-insecure households in 2025. Just in Toronto alone, one in 10 people made use of a food bank. Over 10 years ago, Teresa was already championing this issue.
Carrying a trolley that she called the “campaign train,” Teresa campaigned across campus, talked to students, introduced herself and explained what she stood for.
“Through campaigning and platform, people saw something in that, voted for me and I ended up winning it,” Silva-Byers said.
Making food security a priority
As HSF’s Vice President of Student Services, Teresa made food security her top priority.
“She was the first student leader to truly talk and advocate about food from a food security perspective — not just about cost and variety,” wrote Ercole Perrone, IGNITE’s Chief Executive Officer, when reflecting on Teresa’s impact.
The main pillar of her advocacy was a powerful question that remains part of a much larger conversation. “Why does food scarcity exist?”
“When you go to a grocery store, there’s no scarcity there. The aisles are full, the produce is stacked in mountains, and yet there is that barrier [food insecurity],” Silva-Byers said. “For me, that barrier doesn’t need to exist.”
Teresa said many students leave their homes at 17 or 18 years old to pursue post-secondary education, often away from friends and family. For international students, those challenges walk along with adapting to a new culture and climate.
One of Teresa’s main priorities was ensuring the food bank program had a human connection. She wanted to know what students needed, whether something could be improved and if dietary restrictions were being considered.
Moving beyond the email-only approach, she focused on building trust through one-on-one conversations. She said these moments also helped open doors to other resources available on campus.
“There’s only so much that you can say that people will listen to. But when you’re one-on-one, it’s a different conversation,” Silva-Byers said.
The work that Teresa championed over 10 years ago continues to benefit students today through initiatives like the IGNITE Soupbar.
She described IGNITE and student unions as an incubator for growth. Support, opportunity and community are all aspects that are part of student unions.
“Being a full-time student is not easy, and being a full-time student working is even harder,” Silva-Byers said. “There are so many challenges where student unions help break some of those [barriers] down.”
For Teresa, being involved with HSF opened opportunities, built lasting relationships and helped unlock parts of herself she may not have discovered otherwise.
“I don’t know that I would have had the confidence to do some of the things I’ve done now, had I not done them then and had the supports in place to do them,” Silva-Byers said.
What started as a “no, thank you” for public speaking ultimately became a step forward.
“Because of the people I had around me, because of that environment, I felt safe to be able to do so.”
Care as leadership
Teresa’s story shows that leadership doesn’t necessarily begin with confidence or the desire to be seen. Sometimes, it begins with a simple, yet powerful question, or when you notice something doesn’t feel quite right.
More than a decade later, the values Teresa brought to her role at HSF live on through initiatives that continue to support students today. Growth doesn’t require a perfectly mapped-out plan, only the willingness to take the next step.
And if we have the resources, why not help?
Twenty-five years of IGNITE shaping the post-secondary experience at Humber and the UofGH, Teresa reminds us of the lasting impact campus involvement can have.
If campus involvement has played a role in your academic journey, share with us on our socials @shareignite!
Feature image courtesy of Teresa Silva-Byers.
Are you wondering how the IGNITE Soupbar comes to life? Discover how the warm soups on campus are made!
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