Guelph-Humber Business alumni recognized for community contributions, career excellence

Alumni from the University of Guelph-Humber (U of GH) are shining in the workplace and the community, reflecting the institution’s commitment to preparing students with sharp analytical thinking and career-ready skills that launch success.

At Guelph-Humber, our alumni are our most passionate advocates. U of GH strives to recognize alumni through two annual awards – the Distinguished Alum Award and the University of Guelph-Humber Alumni Award of Achievement. These awards spotlight alumni who help the institution and its students thrive, enrich the community, and are achieving distinction in their field while uplifting others. 

The spring 2026 ceremony saw two remarkable alumni recognized for the 2025 calendar year: Ramona Ramcharran (Business Administration, class of 2016) and Anthony Modugno (Business Administration, class of 2020).

University of Guelph-Humber Distinguished Alum Award: Ramona Ramcharran 

The Distinguished Alum Award honours a graduate who has supported U of GH through significant volunteer leadership efforts. Ramcharran, who currently serves as the senior finance manager at IGNITE (Guelph-Humber and Humber Polytechnic’s student union), received this award for selflessly giving back to the Guelph-Humber community well after she graduated, including through mentorship and volunteering.

Thinking back to her time as a student, Ramcharran said U of GH made her feel more at home than any other place in her life. It was also where, through a mentorship program offered at the University, she met her own mentor, Hassan Gafri. His unwavering support over their decade-long mentor/mentee relationship inspired her to do the same for other students. 

“You can't put a price on having a mentor,” Ramcharran said.

This is why she started her volunteer journey at U of GH in 2017 through an alumni mentorship program (which is now known as Guelph-Humber Connect, powered by Ten Thousand Coffees). Over the next few years, she would mentor students one-on-one but also through large-scale mentorship events. And when the pandemic hit in 2020, Ramcharran continued to volunteer her time toward guiding students virtually.

Additionally, she has volunteered during convocation, demonstrating her commitment toward being there for students on their important life milestone. 

Plus, Ramcharran served as a member of the 2025-2026 Alumni Ambassador Council, where she works alongside fellow members to foster opportunities for networking, connecting with students, and strengthening the U of GH community through assisting at various events throughout the year such as Giving Tuesday, networking gatherings, and more. 

Most recently, she served as a judge for the 2026 NIBS Worldwide Case Competition qualification round. This was a significant moment to give back to the University because Guelph-Humber had the honour of hosting this prestigious global competition in February 2026 and being part of it was exciting for her.

Her advice to current students is to get a mentor because having one in her life not only gave her clarity on her own professional path forward, but it inspired her to do the same for others.

University of Guelph-Humber Alumni Award of Achievement: Anthony Modugno

The Alumni Award of Achievement honours a graduate who has demonstrated exceptional distinction in their field. Modugno earned the award this year for his stellar performance in the business field. 

Currently an associate investment advisor at RBC Dominion Securities, he worked his way up swiftly in a fairly short period of time due to his performance and dedication – a shining example of the calibre of professionals Guelph-Humber shapes.

“Keeping an open mind [to new opportunities] is the biggest thing,” he said. “Have an open mind to ideas, whether it's investment strategies, whether it's livelihood things, whether it's new hobbies.”

Modugno began his professional journey as a bank teller at CIBC during his first year at U of GH. The more he explored finance and banking in his studies, the deeper he fell in love with the field. 

That’s why Modugno completed his program co-op at RBC Dominion Securities, where he honed an entrepreneurial mindset and pushed himself out of his comfort zone. For instance, when he was challenged to make 100 cold calls to potential clients, he strived to reach 150. He impressed managers with his performance so much that they extended his co-op twice. 

“The president pulled me aside and said, ‘As soon as you graduate, we're going to hire you back without a doubt. This is a career that I think you'll flourish in. And this is just the beginning for you’,” he said. 

The president kept his promise and hired Modugno straight out of Guelph-Humber.

Modugno started out as an administrative assistant in October 2020, where he opened investment accounts for clients, transferred money into accounts, completed paperwork, etc. Then, he worked his way up to an associate role in March 2021, quickly advancing. He was motivated to complete his required testing to become an advisor while growing in his role, eager to reach the next stage of his career. 

When an opportunity to become an associate advisor became available, the same president who opened the door for Modugno to his first official role after graduation put his name forward for it because he saw Modugno’s potential. He joined that team in February 2024 and went from “0 to 100,” getting into money management and a bit of relationship management.

After four months, Modugno stepped into his current role as an associate investment advisor with Mario Citta and The Citta Group at RBC Dominion Securities, where he thrives on building strong partnerships with his own clients. Here, he began forging his own relationships with clients as he practices within the team’s broader business.

In just two years, his contributions have brought tremendous growth to his own practice and to his team. 

“I gained extensive hands-on experience working directly with clients, developing investment strategies, and addressing the complexities of clients’ financial needs and long-term well-being. With that foundation in place, I made the decision to take the next step and begin building my own practice within a team that mutually aligned with everything I believed in and something I had always envisioned for my career at a young age,” Modugno said of his time at RBC Dominion Securities. 

To achieve such career growth in just over half a decade, Modugno also tapped into his leadership and communication skills from other life experiences like playing hockey and being a brother to two siblings. And he draws inspiration from his late grandfather – an entrepreneur who started a jewellery business over 60 years ago that still operates today.

But success, a strong commitment to his clients, and a genuine passion for helping others protect and grow what they’ve worked hard to achieve aren’t the only things that drive Modugno. He believes in building relationships, whether that be with clients or friends, and giving back to the community, like donating to his local church. Next, he’d like to become a mentor.

And when he thinks about his time at Guelph-Humber, he does so fondly. 

“Guelph-Humber played a big part in my success and my growth,” Modugno said. “It gave me a lot of flexibility to work part-time, to find things I like to do, and gave me that close knit community.”

Congratulations Ramona Ramcharran and Anthony Modugno! 

For more information on the University of Guelph-Humber’s alumni awards, click here.